Media processing methods and arrangements

ABSTRACT

The present technology concerns cell phones and other portable devices, and more particularly concerns use of such devices in connection with media content (electronic and physical) and with other systems (e.g., televisions, digital video recorders, and electronic program directories). In certain arrangements, identification of audio or visual content to which the user is being exposed is determined—in part—using information about one or more other people who are known to be present with the user. Information about the user&#39;s current location, or about the user&#39;s previous activities, can also be used in inferring the identity of content to which the user is currently being exposed. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

RELATED APPLICATION DATA

This application is a division of application Ser. No. 13/191,238, filedJul. 26, 2011 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,490,128) which is a division ofapplication Ser. No. 12/490,980, filed Jun. 24, 2009 (published asUS20100205628), which claims priority from provisional applications61/167,828, filed Apr. 8, 2009; 61/160,660, filed Mar. 16, 2009; and61/152,226, filed Feb. 12, 2009. These applications are incorporatedherein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present technology concerns cell phones and other portable devices,and more particularly concerns use of such devices in connection withmedia content (electronic and physical) and with other systems (e.g.,televisions, digital video recorders, and electronic program guides).

Introduction

The present technology builds on, and extends, technology disclosed inprior patent applications by the present assignee. The reader is thusdirected to the following applications (which are incorporated herein byreference) that serve to detail arrangements in which applicants intendthe present technology to be applied, and that technically supplementthe present disclosure:

application Ser. No. 12/271,772, filed Nov. 14, 2008 (now published asUS20100119208), entitled Content Interaction Methods and SystemsEmploying Portable Devices;

Application Ser. No. 61/150,235, filed Feb. 5, 2009, entitled SecondScreens and Widgets;

Application Ser. No. 61/157,153, filed Mar. 3, 2009, entitledNarrowcasting from Public Displays, and Related Methods; and

Application Ser. No. 12/484,115, filed Jun. 12, 2009 (now published asUS20100048242), entitled Methods and Systems for Content Processing.

These earlier patent applications detail how a cell phone can watch orlisten to the user's environment, and identify content (e.g., mediaobjects or physical objects) from that environment. The cell phone canthen be used to help complement the user's experience.

The present disclosure details a great variety of further improvementsand new innovations.

For example, in accordance with one aspect of the below-detailedtechnology, it is not necessary for a cell phone to watch or listen tothe user's environment. Guessing is often sufficient. The cell phone, orother device, may successfully infer—based on various factors (time ofday, user location, television location, user viewing history, otherprofile data, EPG data, etc.)—the content, if any, to which the user isbeing exposed. (A die-hard Pittsburgh Steelers fan is probably in frontof a TV screen at game time—whenever the Steelers are playing.)

Once an initial inference has been made, additional information canoptionally be sought to confirm or refute the initial hypothesis. Forexample, sound or imagery can be sampled—perhaps not enough to identifyvideo programming in the absence of other information, but enough toreinforce (or discount) an initial inference. Alternatively, the cellphone can simply pose one or more confirmatory questions to the user,e.g., “Are you watching TV?” and/or “Are you watching the Steelers gameon TV?” and/or “Are you watching program X or program Y (or neither)?”

In other arrangements, the fact of viewing activity is inferred first.For example, if the locations of a television system and a cell phonecan both be determined (e.g., by GPS), and the cell phone is found to bewithin ten feet of the television, then user viewing of the televisionmay be inferred from proximity alone. If an affirmative inference ismade by the cell phone, it can then estimate what programming is beingviewed (e.g., by reference to current EPG data, user history andprofile—accessed from a home network disk drive, or cached previously inthe cell phone memory, etc.). If the television system makes thedetermination of proximity, it knows whether it is “on” and whatprogramming it is rendering. It can transmit such information to thecell phone, so that either can then fetch auxiliary content forpresentation to the user.

Based on the thus-approximated circumstances, the cell phone can againprovide a complementary experience to the user.

One way to list available auxiliary content, without cluttering theintended video presentation, is to pause the main video programming.(The pausing may be user-initiated, or triggered by the system whenauxiliary content is identified or becomes available.) A graphicalcontrol can appear—on either the cell phone or the main screen—fromwhich the user can select desired auxiliary content. The graphicalcontrol can comprise, e.g., icons representing available auxiliarycontent—which selection changes in accordance with the contents of thepaused screen. (E.g., if John Wayne is shown in the paused screen, thenbiographical information or other video clips about Wayne may be shownas available; a moment later, if Ronald Reagan is shown in the pausedscreen, then biographical information or other video clips about Reaganmay be shown as available.)

If desired, the cell phone may be programmed to cause the main videopresentation to pause when a cell phone motion sensor(s) indicates acertain movement (or any movement). For example, if the cell phonesenses that it is being moved from a rest position to a use position(e.g., to answer an incoming call), the television display may beautomatically paused. If auxiliary content is being presented—on thecell phone or elsewhere—it too may be automatically paused.

In some arrangements, a user's cell phone is registered as beingassociated with the user's television system. For example, in the user'sTiVo digital video recorder, a data structure may store identifiers—suchas phone numbers—of associated cell phones. Information relating tovideo programming (text alerts, auxiliary content, video content itself,etc.) can be sent from the television system to the associated cellphone(s).

The registered cell phone may have a mode in which it is ready topresent auxiliary content—call it a WatchingTV mode. (This status may beindicated by the cell phone to the associated television system, e.g.,by the Apple Bonjour protocol or otherwise.) If the user's cell phone isin the WatchingTV mode, the user may be presumed to be viewingprogramming in accordance with past viewing history, recording history,preference data, etc. Auxiliary content can be provided to the cellphone accordingly.

In other arrangements, a WatchingTV mode is not required. Informationcan be sent to the cell phone based on available programming and userdata, which the user can choose to present on a screen, or not.

If the user is determined to be remote from home (e.g., by reference tolocation information periodically provided to the home network from theuser's cell phone), the system may determine how the user can accessfavorite programming (determined, e.g., by reference to previous viewinghistory or recording history) at the user's current location, and sendsuch information to the user's cell phone.

Similarly, reminders can be sent to alert users about programs ofpotential interest that are upcoming—localized to the user's currentlocation.

Although not presently implemented by TiVo, TiVo's design can be alteredto support two or more users—each having their own viewing preferencedata, recording history data, and other profile data. Each user can haveone or more associated cell phones registered with the TiVo device. Whenthe television system is operated, but the user is not expresslydeclared, the system can infer the user's identity from various factors(e.g., comparing the content metadata, such as genre, title, synopsiswith stored data for each user; considering time of day; determining thecurrent locations of associated phones and identifying any that areproximate to the system; applying facial recognition techniques to imagedata captured by a camera to help sense particular users, etc.). Systemoperations can then be tailored in accordance with the inferred useridentity.

It will be recognized that the cell phone can serve as a “secondscreen.” The user can interact with the cell phone while others in theroom watch the television screen—undistracted by overlays and otherinterruptions to the full-screen experience. They, in turn, may interactwith their own cell phones—interacting with auxiliary content of theirown choosing (and exchanging text messages and other content with othersin the group). Yet the group has the shared experience of the common bigscreen and the common physical environment.

(In some embodiments, groups can assemble on a virtual basis—from two ormore locations. Each simultaneously views the same video content on aprimary screen at their location, while also being able to interact withpersonal second screens—including online social interaction with othermembers of the group. The cell phones may simultaneously operate inconference call mode—allowing each person to speak to and hear others inthe group.)

When two or members of a group assemble for a second screen experience(physically or virtually), information may be shared between themembers' cell phones. Each user may set an option on their cell phoneindicating whether visual content information may be shared with othercell phones. If this option is set, then other members of the group can“tune into” the second screen experience of any other member (or all mayshare the same second screen experience).

In other embodiments the cell phone need not be used to present content.Instead, it can simply provide information to other systems, e.g.,identifying the user's location; or specifying—by reference to acalendar application—whether the user is free or busy; or indicatingwhether the user is stationary or in motion; or identifying which useris proximate to a particular display system, etc. The other systems canthen adapt their operation in accordance with such information.

Some embodiments allow the user to easily transfer displayed contentfrom a cell phone screen onto a television screen for easier viewing.Conversely, the user may transfer displayed content from a televisiononto a cell phone for portability. The transfer can occur duringplayback of video entertainment or during game play, allowing play toresume from the point of interruption.

Other aspects of the present technology enable users to participate inentertainment content, such as by submitting plot directions, audioinput, character names, etc., yielding a more engaging, immersive, userexperience.

In accordance with still other aspects of the present technology, aprogram-centric content directory is compiled from information reportedby network nodes that watch and identify content traffic passing into(and/or out of) network databases. Spanning a variety of contentrepositories (e.g., web sites, TV networks, P2P systems, etc.), such adirectory allows cell phone users to identify the diversity of sourcesfrom which desired content can be obtained—some available on a scheduledbasis, others available on demand. Depending on the application, thedirectory information may be transparent to the user—serving to identifysources for desired content, from which application software can pickfor content downloading, based, e.g., on context and stored profiledata.

The foregoing are just a few of the novel aspects of the presenttechnology. These and other features and advantages will be more readilyapparent from the remainder of this specification, which proceeds withreference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows elements of an exemplary implementation incorporatingaspects of the present technology.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a digital video recorder system that can beused in certain implementations of the present technology, includingcertain stored data.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a cell phone that can be used in certainimplementations of the present technology.

FIG. 4 is a representation of sample records from a database associatingprimary content with auxiliary content.

FIGS. 5-8 detail aspects of an illustrative arrangement by which aProgram Directory Database can be compiled automatically.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Certain embodiments of the subject technology provide content on auser's personal screen (e.g., a cell phone) that complements contentavailable on another screen (typically, a bigger screen).

For expository convenience, content available on the bigger screen isoften termed the primary content, and content presented on the personalscreen (the “second screen”) is regarded as auxiliary content. Examplesof auxiliary content include audio and video, web pages and othertextual data, application programs and software widgets. (In somecircumstances, users may regard the auxiliary content as the morerelevant and, in some circumstances, view it without viewing the primarycontent.)

Referring to FIG. 1, certain embodiments 10 of the present technologycan include a television system 12 and plural second screen devices 14,16, 18.

The television system 12 may comprise elements such as a set top box 20,a satellite receiver 22, a digital video recorder (DVR) 24, a televisionreceiver/monitor 26, a Blu-ray device 28, and one or more othercomponents 30 (e.g., a computer, a Slingbox device, an Apple TV device,an iPod, Boxee media center software, etc.).

Primary content can be delivered to television system 12 by anycommunications channel 36. Examples include satellite, cable, wired- orwireless-internet, over the air broadcast, etc. A content distributor 32(e.g., Comcast, DirectTV, a television network or station, etc.)typically aggregates content from various content sources 34 (such asfilm companies, content networks, sports teams, etc.) for distributionover communications channel 36. Other entities, such as the Apple iTunesstore, Netflix, Google, YouTube, Hulu, peer-to-peer networks, etc., mayalso serve as content distributors.

The auxiliary content can likewise be delivered by any communicationschannel 38. Often the internet 40 is used. The auxiliary content canalso come from several sources, including the same entities that provideprimary content, as well as from other sources (e.g., web sites such asFlickr and Wikipedia, advertisers, Apple App store vendors, socialnetwork friends and other individuals, etc.) In some instances theauxiliary content can comprise an associated software widget, e.g., asdetailed in patent application 61/150,235.

In one particular implementation, the auxiliary content is transmittedto the user's home over the internet 40, and wirelessly delivered tosecond screen devices 14, 16 from a router 42 over a home network 44.(Second screen content can also be provided to wired devices over thehome network, such as a desktop computer 46, although this is not ascommon.)

An exemplary DVR 24 is shown in FIG. 2, and includes a networkconnection 50 (e.g., to the home network 44). The DVR also has an input52 through which video content is provided, as well as a phoneconnection 54. Input 52 can connect to a device such as a satellitereceiver, a set top box, or an antenna, or it can eliminated if videocontent is provided to the DVR over the network connection 50. The phoneinput provides a connection by which the DVR can dial into a data centerto download electronic program guide (EPG) data and other instructionsperiodically. Again, input 54 may be eliminated if such data is providedthrough the video or network inputs.

The illustrated DVR also includes a processor 56, a user interface 58(which may include both physical controls and on-screen menus/controls),a remote control 60, and a data store 62. The data store 62 can includeboth semiconductor and disc storage. In addition to operating systemsoftware, user interface software, and application programs, theillustrated data store 60 also includes EPG data, software widgets (see,e.g., patent application 61/150,235), other data and software programmodules, and stored video data.

Also included in data store 60 is a variety of user-specific data. Thisincludes schedule data detailing programs to be recorded as well asprograms earlier recorded, user profile data, and user cell phone data.The user profile data can include a variety of information, such asprogram viewing history, program recording history, season passsubscriptions and other standing recording instructions, viewer rankingsand votes concerning certain programs, and other expressed viewingpreferences. The profile data may also include demographic informationsuch as zip code, user age and gender, data about affinity and socialgroups to which the user belongs, etc.

In more sophisticated embodiments profile data is accessed from variousdata stores and can encompass the user's web browsing history and othersources of information. These can include all manner of data that theuser touches and in which the user leaves traces, e.g., Google searchhistory, cached web pages, cookies, email archives, travel reservationson Expedia and Orbitz, music collections on iTunes, cable televisionsubscriptions, Netflix movies viewed and in-queue, cell phone billingstatements, credit card statements, shopping data from Amazon and EBay,GPS tracking information, social network friends, data and activities,activities and postings on photo sites such as Flickr and Picasa andvideo sites such as YouTube; the times of day memorialized in theserecords, etc. (This collection may be termed a “digital life log.”)

Moreover, reference may be made to digital life log data of the user'sfamily and friends, and for others having demographic similarities withthe user (all this with appropriate anonymization and privacysafeguards).

The DVR 24 may also have a module by which its location can bedetermined. One such module is a GPS receiver.

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary cell phone 14, including elements such as amicrophone, a camera 70, a processor 72, a display/touchscreen 74, aphysical user interface, a location module, and memory. The memorystores operating system software, user interface software, otherfunctional software modules, widget software, etc.

The cell phone can employ a location module as described in connectionwith the DVR.

In accordance with one aspect of the present technology, user profiledata is used in conjunction with context information to make an estimate(or inference, or guess) identifying one or more particular televisionprograms the user may be watching (or will watch in the future). Thecontext information can include the user's location. It may also includewhether the user is stationary at that location, or moving.Additionally, or alternatively, the context information can betelevision program schedule information, e.g., from an electronicprogram guide (EPG), and/or current date/time.

To illustrate, profile information may suggest that the user is acommitted fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and watches many otherprofessional football games—routinely watching Monday Night Football. Itmay further indicate that the user watches most of the televisedUniversity of Oregon basketball games, occasionally watches some golf,and that the user's home television is most commonly tuned to ESPN.

Location information may identify the user's location by latitude andlongitude. Researching this location using one of the geolocationservices identified in application Ser. No. 12/484,115 (e.g., Yahoo'sGeoPlanet service) may indicate that the user is at Claude's Sports Baron S.E. Hawthorne Avenue in Portland, Oreg. The location data may alsobe static over a period of time, indicating the user is not simplydriving past the bar.

With no other data, the system may infer the user is probably watching asports channel on a television in the bar. The profile data indicatesthe user's interest in televised sports. A Google search for Claude'sSports Bar on S.E. Hawthorne in Portland finds a web page full ofsports- and television-related references (“big screen” “satellite,”“channels,” “football,” etc.). An inference engine takes these facts asinputs, identifies a set of stored rules relevant to such inputs,resolves any conflicts between the rules, and produces one or moreinferences as output (e.g., that the user is probably watchingtelevision, and the watched television is probably displaying sportscontent).

(Artificial intelligence techniques can be applied in these and in othercontexts where the present technology is employed. One branch ofartificial intelligence is natural language processing (NLP). NLPtechniques can be used to make sense of information like the terms foundon the web page for Claude's Sports Bar. U.S. Pat. No. 7,383,169 detailshow dictionaries and other large works of language can be processed byNLP techniques to compile lexical knowledge bases that serve asformidable sources of such “common sense” information about the world.Wikipedia is another reference source that can serve as the basis forsuch a knowledge base. This common sense knowledge can be applied in theprocessing detailed herein.)

With more information, the system can make a more refined estimate—or amore confident estimate—about what the user is doing. For example, ifthe date and time indicate a Monday evening in November, an inferencemay be made that the user is watching Monday Night Football on ESPN. Ifit is a Tuesday evening when the University of Oregon is playingbasketball, an inference may be made that the user is watching thebasketball game—on whatever network it is airing.

If it is a Monday evening in November AND the University of Oregonbasketball team is playing a televised game, the algorithm applies otherheuristics and/or profile data to address the conflict: is the userwatching Monday Night Football, or the University of Oregon basketballgame? From data such as the user's past viewing history, the inferencingengine may estimate that there is a 70% likelihood the user is watchingthe basketball game, and a 30% likelihood that user is watching thefootball game.

Based on the inferences, the system identifies to the user's cell phonecorresponding auxiliary content, e.g., of the sort detailed in theearlier-referenced patent applications. Two or more different auxiliarycontent options may be presented (e.g., in thumbnail or icon form;static or streaming), from which the user can select. These options mayinclude, for example, NFL statistics for the playing football teams; adedicated camera shot of the offensive quarterback, or an interactivegame inviting the user to guess what play the quarterback will nextcall.

Where the system yields a probabilistic outcome (e.g., 70% chance offootball; 30% of basketball), the content or options presented to theuser can be weighted accordingly.

Likewise, the confidence of an inference can also influence what contentor options the system offers to the user. For example, if the system isonly 10% certain that the user is watching golf, it may not promotegolf-related auxiliary content. Instead, it may offer default auxiliarycontent that more generally caters to the user's profile (e.g.,highlights from recent Steelers football games and University of Oregonbasketball games; commentary on their upcoming games; ESPN headlines,etc.).

In some embodiments, the system checks its inference by asking the userone or more questions. For example, the system can send a text messageto the user's cell phone inquiring, “Are you watching the University ofOregon basketball game?” Or an application program on the user's cellphone might present such a question. The auxiliary content (or contentoptions) presented to the user can be tailored in accordance with theuser's response.

Instead of interrupting the user with such a query, the cell phone maysimply capture audio or visual information from the user's environment(e.g., by the cell phone's microphone or camera)—seeking to confirm theestimate, e.g., by a technique such as a digital watermark decoding, orfingerprint extraction.

Television audio typically bears a Nielsen digital watermark signalinserted by the content distributor (e.g., KOIN television), prior toits transmission. The watermark repetitively conveys two items ofinformation: a source ID, and a time stamp. The source ID has two parts.The first generally identifies the network from which the content isdistributed, e.g., CBS, ESPN, etc.; the second identifies the localoutlet, e.g., KOIN television, Comcast cable-West Portland, etc. Thetime stamp is an incrementing clock that gives the date and time of thetransmission. The encoders that insert the watermarks are part of anexisting network that helps The Nielsen Company track televisionconsumption. Nielsen maintains a database that details the programlineup for each channel in each geographic market and national network,by date and time. This database is fed by program guide informationcompiled by vendors such as Tribune Media Company and/or TV Guide.

A customary watermark usage model is to identify an unknown televisionprogram from a watermark. In that case the watermark ID/time stamp areinput as a query to the database, and the database returns output dataidentifying the program that was airing on that television source atthat time.

The present application is somewhat different, because a guess as to thelikely program(s) has already been made. In this case, informationidentifying the estimated program(s) is used to query the database, andretrieve the source ID (and optionally timestamp data indicating thescheduled time for the program). Audio captured from the user'senvironment is then checked to see if it is consistent with theretrieved source ID. (Technically, it is easier to analyze audio todetermine whether one or more expected watermarks is present, than it isto analyze audio to identify whether an unknown watermark is present.)

The system assumes that the content available in the user's environmentis being presented during the program slot of its original transmission.The database is thus queried to identify the source or sources that arecurrently transmitting the estimated program. For example, Monday nightfootball may be distributed by ESPN and by a local broadcast station.Source IDs for these sources are then obtained from the database, andthe ambient audio in the user's environment is analyzed to determinewhether a watermark corresponding to one of these source IDs is present.If so, the estimate has been confirmed. (A similar approach can beemployed with recorded content, although a larger universe of candidateprogramming must be considered.)

As noted, another approach to content identification (or confirmation)is fingerprinting. Fingerprinting works by matching features fromunknown media content with features from known media content, to make anidentification. Again, the present context is simpler than that usuallypresented, since the system has already made an estimate about theidentity of the content. So the captured audio (or imagery) is simplyanalyzed to check for consistency with the estimated program, in orderto confirm the estimate. (For example, fingerprints for the estimatedprogram may be checked for correspondence to the sampled audio; this isa simpler task than using fingerprint technology to identify sampledcontent from a virtually unlimited set of possibilities.)

In still other arrangements, the sampled audio or imagery simply tendsto confirm that the user is watching television, rather than engaged insome other activity. For example, television audio often has a spectraldistribution that can be distinguished from, e.g., the spectraldistribution of two people engaged in conversation. Television audio isfrequently band-limited and compressed (limited) to increase its averagepower, and to concentrate its energy where the human auditory system ismost acute. Similarly, TV video has distinctive visual features. CRTtelevision monitors use color phosphors that produce characteristicpeaks in the visual spectrum. Television screens are refreshed at afixed rate, by which their imagery can be distinguished from naturalscenery. These and other hallmarks can be used to help confirm that auser is watching television instead of, e.g., engaged in discussion orwatching a live football game.

In one implementation, the processing described above is performed byprocessor 72 and associated applications software in the user's cellphone. In other implementations this processing takes place in theuser's DVR, or at a cable company server, or in the cloud, or elsewhere(or distributed among such processors).

Sometimes the user may be traveling in a city remote from home. Theuser's position is known by GPS or otherwise. However, the televisionprogramming available in that remote city may be different than thatnormally tracked by the user's cell phone or the home DVR. In such casesthe system can use online resources, such as the TV Guide web site, ordata from Tribune Media Company (or the Program Directory Databasedetailed below), to determine the availability and scheduling of contentin the remote city. With knowledge of the programming line-up availablein the remote city, together with the user's location and profileinformation, the system may still estimate a particular program that theuser is currently watching (or may watch in the future).

Information about the user's estimated viewing activity can be sent backto the user's home (if it was determined by a remote device), where itcan be stored or otherwise used as particular applications may require.If the user confirms a viewing activity, this information can besimilarly logged, e.g., in a data store coupled to the user's homenetwork.

The arrangement just-described guesses at what the content the user ispresently viewing, and acts accordingly. A similar procedure can be usedto guess what content the user will be viewing in the future—or may beinterested in viewing. Auxiliary content, or reminders, can then be sentto the user—immediately, or later.

A particular implementation receives data indicating a location of theuser (e.g., a location of the user's cell phone) and, in conjunctionwith profile data relating to the user, identifies one or more upcomingtelevision programs that the user may want to view. Alerts are then sentto the user (e.g., to the user's cell phone) about the upcomingtelevision program(s). The alert may invite the user to press a button,or otherwise signal, if the user is (or will be) watching the program.Again, if the user is remote from home, program line-up data from themedia market where the user is currently located can be used tocustomize the alert.

The profile data may be as simple as information indicating that theuser's home DVR is set to record a particular program at a particulartime. For example, the user may have earlier operated the user interfaceof a home TiVo device to program a “season pass,” instructing the deviceto record all broadcasts of Minnesota Timberwolves basketball games. Atthe time of each game, or a brief interval in advance (e.g., 5, 15 or 60minutes), the system may send the user a reminder that a game is aboutto air. (In the DVR shown in FIG. 2, the user's cell phone number isknown to the DVR—allowing it to send such a reminder by a text message,a voice alert, etc.)

If the user confirms viewing a particular program (or if viewing isconfirmed otherwise, e.g., by audio sampling), this fact can be relayedto the network, to the content creator, or to other parties—allowingthem to offer complementary auxiliary content. To illustrate, a user maybe invited to participate in an online poll to determine Player of theGame for a football game, or who should be voted off the island in areality show. The outcome of the primary content may thus depend, insome measure, on involvement of the audience with the auxiliary content.(This feature is discussed in further detail, below.) In anotherexample, a user is presented with occasional trivia, e.g., thatPresident Obama is a longtime Pittsburgh Steelers fan. If user profiledata is shared with the networks etc., they can better engage the viewerwith meaningful auxiliary content.

In some embodiments the user can respond to the alert by requesting thatthe scheduled program be transmitted to the user's cell phone forviewing.

Just as the fact of a user viewing a television program may be inferred,so may be the fact of a user discontinuing viewing. This can be done,for example, by sensing audio or image data using the cell phone. It mayadditionally or alternatively involve sensing movement of the cell phone(such as by accelerometers, or movement of visible features in a fieldof view of a cell phone camera).

If the viewer has apparently stopped viewing the television,corresponding action(s) may be taken. One is to pause the programming,so that the viewer can resume watching at a later time. Another is tosend the viewer information about a missed portion of the content. Thiscan comprise key frames, video highlights, a textual synopsis, etc. Oneor more of these can link to a recorded version of the missed content.

As noted, one or more cell phones may be associated with a particulartelevision system, e.g., by registration data in a DVR data store, orelsewhere on a home network. Information can then be shared between thesystem and one or more of the associated cell phone(s).

In a particular arrangement, a husband and wife both have cell phonesregistered with a family TiVo system. Each may have their own TiVoprofile including, e.g., preferences, viewing history, video recordings,season passes, etc.

In some cases it is clear whether the husband or wife is associated witha given program. For example, a program may have been recorded at theinstruction of one or the other, and appear on their respective list ofrecordings. When the television plays the recorded program, it maydirect auxiliary content (or a message about the availability ofauxiliary content) to the person who scheduled the program forrecording.

In other cases there is ambiguity about which person (or both) isassociated with a program. Consider a Saturday afternoon when someoneturns on the television system and tunes to a golf broadcast. Who iswatching? A variety of heuristics may be applied.

One is to analyze past recording history. If the wife's list ofrecordings includes golf broadcasts, but the husband's does not, thenthe system can infer the wife is watching. Data may thus be directed tothe wife's cell phone. Other profile data can be used to similar effect.

Another approach is to sense location of one or both phones. Data can besent to whichever phone (or both) is near the television system.

The phone may be running the Bonjour protocol—advising other devices onthe home network of who it is (e.g., to which spouse it belongs) andwhat it is doing. The television may receive this broadcast and therebyidentify a phone watching television.

A variety of other arrangements can also be adopted. For example, thetelevision system may include a camera and facial recognition algorithmto identify the viewer(s). It may monitor periodic transmissions fromthe cell phone by which it identifies itself to the local cell site. Orthe television system may simply inquire of one spouse whether they arewatching golf. If the person responds ‘yes,’ auxiliary contentinformation can be sent to that spouse; if ‘no,’ the auxiliary contentinformation can be sent to the other spouse.

In the example just-given, the television system is pro-active: seekingto identify a viewer so that auxiliary content may be provided. In otherarrangements it works the other way. A user may operate a cell phone(e.g., by launching a WatchingTV application) to indicate interest inauxiliary content or other interactivity. A logical association is thendetermined between the cell phone and a television system. Thisassociation may be ad hoc, or determined by informationpreviously-stored in a data registry or the like.

An example of the ad hoc case is a phone that senses it is near atelevision system, such as by location determination, by Bonjourbroadcast from a local wireless network, by watermark or otherdistinctive feature of ambient audio/video, etc. (Identity of thetelevision system may be established by decoding a digital watermarkencoded in content rendered by that television system, where thewatermark conveys an identifier of the particular television system.)Once a logical association is established, auxiliary contentcorresponding to primary content displayed on the television is providedfor the user's enjoyment. (As in other cases, the auxiliary content maybe dependent on the user profile, user location, etc.)

In the other case, the logical association is determined by informationpreviously-stored in a data registry or the like. An example is a phoneregistered with the user's home TiVo system. In some instances the usermay not even be near the associated television system. Nonetheless, theuser's cell phone can consult with the associated television system andpresent related information to the user. The presented information maysimply comprise the status of the television system, or the name of aprogram being viewed or recorded on that system. Or it may compriseauxiliary video or web content corresponding to content being processed(or earlier stored) on the associated system. (Here, as in the otherembodiments, the cell phone may present a menu from which the user canselect among plural options. If several different items of auxiliarycontent are available, the menu may comprise thumbnail views of thecontent—including motion video—from which the user can select.)

It should be recognized that the second screen auxiliary content may besome or all of the primary content, depending on the application. Forexample, in a circumstance earlier-discussed—in which a user is alertedto a program about to be recorded on a home DVR—the auxiliary contentmay be the primary content re-formatted and streamed for presentation onthe user's cell phone display. The user interface on the cell phone canalert the user to the availability of such content, which can be playedby a corresponding gesture on the phone's touch-screen interface.

In this and other embodiments, the user may respond to an offer ofauxiliary content by instructing that the auxiliary content also beoffered, or directed, to one or more other cell phones or secondscreens. Thus, when a user's cell phone is alerted that a Timberwolvesgame is beginning, the user can forward the auxiliary content to theuser's laptop, and also offer the auxiliary content to the cell phone ofa classmate who is also a Timberwolves fan. Such relaying can be done bywireless from the user's cell phone (e.g., by Bluetooth for nearbysecond screen devices, or by WiFi and then internet to more remotedevices). The Bonjour protocol can alternatively beemployed—transmitting data that can be received by all devices on thehome (or other) network.

In some embodiments the user's cell phone may instruct that theauxiliary content be distributed to the designees from an upstream nodein the distribution process (e.g., from one of the servers 34 in FIG. 1,or from the user's home DVR 12, etc.).

The content may be shared with individuals with whom the user has anassociation (e.g., “friend” status on a social network), or toindividuals who are physically nearby, or to individuals in the user'sphone book, or on a common network, etc.

The shared content may appear on the other person's cell phone in asub-portion of the display screen, e.g., in a window. By selecting thewindow, the other person may cause the display to occupy the fullscreen. Desirably, the content is presented simultaneously on allscreens on which it is displayed.

In some implementations, the DVR can be programmed to send programalerts to multiple individuals, and make auxiliary content available toeach if requested.

It is not necessary to know the user's absolute location in order toinfer that the user is watching television. In other arrangements themere fact that a user is in proximity to a television can be inferred,and action can be based thereon.

Various techniques for inferring proximity were discussed above, e.g.,detecting characteristic features of audio and imagery produced bytelevisions, as contrasted with other audio and imagery. Low level strayemissions from televisions or other video equipment can also be detected(e.g., the colorburst oscillator of an NTSC television; the refresh ratefor a television screen, or a video scanning frequency, etc.). A Bonjourprotocol transmission from the television can also be used.

Conversely, the television may detect the nearby presence of a cellphone, e.g., by the near field RF signal regularly transmitted by thephone to the cellular network, by the near field WiFi signal sent to anearby router, by a Bluetooth emission, by a Bonjour protocoltransmission, etc. The television system can identify the cell phone bysuch transmission, and—once proximity is established—an estimate can bemade of the television content that the user is most likely viewing.

Once proximity is established between a user and a video screen,auxiliary content can be provided to the user in accordance with userprofile data.

Eventually the day may come when all devices know their own location,such as by one of various emerging geolocation arrangements (e.g., asdetailed below). They may share this information with local devices(e.g., by wireless and/or Bonjour), and/or post the location data to anetworked data store—where it can be accessed by other devices. In thisenvironment the user's cell phone can learn the location and identity ofnearby electronic devices (which may be presented in map form). If atelevision monitor is found to be near the cell phone, the system mayinfer that the user is watching the television. (“Nearby” depends on theparticular requirements of a given application. In some cases ten feetmay be nearby. Sometimes twenty. In the case of a Jumbotron videomonitor, ten or a hundred yards may be considered nearby.)

Next generation video systems may also publish data (e.g., wirelessly,by Bonjour, or to a networked data store) identifying the content theyare displaying. In such case an estimate of the content no longer needsto be made. The video equipment unambiguously makes this informationavailable. Systems using the present technology can access suchinformation and, based thereon (and, optionally, on profile data),provide corresponding auxiliary content to the cell phone of a nearbyuser.

In these examples, as earlier, the system may seek confirmation, e.g.,that the user is actually watching the video content being displayed onthe nearby screen. Such confirmation may be sought recurringly, ratherthan just once.

In all of these examples, the auxiliary content need not be presented onthe user's cell phone. It may be presented on the big screen with theprimary content (e.g., in a window). Or it may be delivered otherwise.

In addition to (or as an alternative to) presenting information orcontent to the user, a cell phone can simply provide information toother systems. For example, it can identify the user's location; orspecify—by reference to a calendar application—whether the user is freeor busy; or indicate whether the user is stationary or in motion; oridentify that a user is proximate to a particular display system, etc.Next generation cell phones may report biological indicators, e.g.,suggesting whether the user is asleep or eating, etc. The other systemscan then adapt their operation in accordance with such information.

For example, if a television system in an airport lounge senses thestationary nearby presence of Jane Doe (or more accurately her cellphone), the television system may retrieve profile information for JaneDoe (e.g., from the phone or an online resource), and identify whatvideo programming may be of most interest, e.g., a current LPGA golftournament. The television can automatically present such programming toJane while she waits. When Jane leaves and John Smith sits down, thetelevision may similarly tune to CNBC.

Instead of, or in addition to, selecting primary programming, such asystem can identify auxiliary content of particular interest to thenearby user. For example, John Doe's cell phone may make available, overa WiFi network or Bluetooth, the names of stocks on his default YahooFinance portfolio (but not the share amounts). The television system canautomatically overlay a small window on the CNBC screen, scrollingcurrent prices for those stocks.

Thus, while cell phones according to the present technology can respondto the user's environment, they also allow the user's environment torespond to the user.

More on Auxiliary Content

The item(s) of auxiliary content that is made available with aparticular item of primary content may be selected by the provider ofprimary content (e.g., a video network, such as ESPN), or anothernetwork or commercial entity. However, an alternative is for auxiliarycontent to be crowd-source-identified, e.g., in social network fashion.

The social network can be defined in advance (e.g., Facebook friends ofJohn Doe, or high school students in Portland, Oreg.), or it can be adhoc (e.g., whoever is currently watching tonight's Timberwolves game).

Individual users may find their own auxiliary content. For example, highschool students watching a James Bond movie may browse to the AustinMartin home page, or to the home page for the United Kingdom's MI6Secret Intelligence Service. Retirees watching the same movie may tendto browse to the Wikipedia page for “Shaken, Not Stirred.” Or to theTanqueray Gin home page.

Similarly, when watching NBA Minnesota Timberwolves basketball, highschool students at the alma mater of player Kevin Love may navigate tothe page at NBA.com with Kevin's statistics, or to a YouTube video ofhim breaking a basketball backboard during a celebrated high schoolgame.

, and can serve as a resource from which others can identify relevantcontent. Each item of auxiliary content may be associated with (1)profile information about users who viewed it, and (2) informationidentifying content with which it has been associated.

One implementation employs a relational database that can group datausing common attributes. A schematic representation of data in such adatabase is shown in FIG. 4.

Naturally, this is just a sampling. The database desirably includes, orhas access to, other data. This other data can include metadataassociated with each item of content—classifying by genre, actors,keyword descriptors, ISAN (International Standard Audiovisual Number)and/or DOI (Digital Object Identifier), date, etc. Additional profiledata for each user can also be provided, e.g., telephone number areacode and exchange; IP address (or domain), and profile information notedearlier.

This data can be mined in other ways. A person who independently browsesto the MI6 official site might be prompted to consider viewing theGoldfinger movie, etc. A web browser may briefly overlay a sidebar onpresented content, advising “Users that were interested in this pagewere also interested in the following: <identification of othercontent>”

Such a database can be hosted on a discrete computer, or distributed(and/or replicated) among many different platforms. Peer-to-peerarrangements can be employed, with different parts of the databaseresiding on different users' machines.

Such a database may be managed in wiki form, with users expresslycontributing and annotating the listings. Another alternative is for avendor such as Google to compile the data. A new service (e.g.,“MediaGuide”) could then be provided, which would provide a ranked listof auxiliary content (e.g., web pages) that is most commonly consumedwith a given item of primary content (e.g., a television show).

Already, assenting users of the Google Toolbar product provide data toGoogle identifying visited web sites. The Google Toolbar can be enhancedto also provide Google with data identifying media content that ispresent in the user's environment during web browsing (a backgroundmedia data collection mode).

The media content can be identified by the various techniques detailedin this and the incorporated-by-reference documents, including digitalwatermarks, fingerprints, etc. The Google Toolbar may fully identify thecontent (e.g., by decoding a watermark from captured audio), or it cansimply perform some processing of captured audio (or video), and forwardthe processed data to Google's servers for completion of theidentification task, such as by fingerprint matching. (The processingdesirably removes personally identifiable information, such as by makingthe audio unintelligible. One type of such processing is Wienerfiltering, or subtracting the short-term average of the audio amplitudefrom its instantaneous value. Another is by extracting the timing andfrequencies of certain landmarks in the audio, e.g., as detailed inShazam's U.S. Pat. No. 7,359,889.)

The ambient media needn't be identified with a high degree of certainty.Guesses based on incomplete data or circumstances (as describedelsewhere in this specification) can often suffice—especially when largenumbers of such data are collected. Associations between primary contentand companion auxiliary content based on correctly-identified primarycontent tend to cluster; clear patterns emerge. For example, manyviewers of Oprah's television program may visit web pages for the OprahBook Club and for personalities appearing on Oprah's show; many viewersof CNBC may visit the Wall Street Journal web site and the Yahoo Financeweb site. Associations based on mis-identified content, in contrast, areun-clustered; they don't occur with the frequency that would place themamong the top ranked search results. So even if the media identificationwere correct only 20% or 2% of the time, useful associations wouldeventually emerge.

In other embodiments, no guessing or discernment is required; theprimary content is expressly identified by data from the televisionsystem, or from a device elsewhere in the distribution/rendering chain.For example, a TiVo box knows what content it is supplying to atelevision monitor, and it can make this identification data availableto the Google Toolbar. In one particular embodiment, software in theTiVo system employs the Bonjour protocol to inform other devices withinthe home network of the identity of the video being currently rendered.The Google Toolbar software can receive this broadcast, and forward sameto Google (as it forwards data identifying visited web pages).

In query mode, the contemplated MediaGuide service takes identifiers ofprimary content as input, and provides a ranked listing of correspondingauxiliary content identified from the database as output. The inputidentifiers may be keywords typed by a user, e.g., Oprah or CNBC.Alternatively, the user's device (e.g., a module associated with theGoogle Toolbar) may simply sample the ambient audio (in response to usercommand, or automatically) and provide associated identifiers to theservice. These identifiers may be text keywords (e.g., program title),or other identifiers that are associated with a particular program(e.g., watermark payload, audio or video fingerprint, etc.) In someembodiments, the captured audio data, or processed audio data, may besubmitted as input, and the Google servers can identify the primarycontent based on this audio data—and respond with ranked identificationof corresponding auxiliary content.

In still other embodiments, the primary content is expressly identifiedby data from the television system, or from a device elsewhere in thedistribution/rendering chain, as detailed above.

Results from such a MediaGuide query may be presented in the samefamiliar format as Google's web search results. Hyperlinked results fromthe database fill most of the screen. To the edge can be placedsponsored links. For example, Nike may pay to present a link to its AirJordan web page on the top right of a page of results to a media querybased on a Trailblazers basketball broadcast.

After an initial corpus of primary content-auxiliary content associationdata is collected, use of the system in query mode allows further mediaassociation data to be collected. The Google Toolbar can note whichauxiliary content search results are selected when different primary(ambient) media is present. This information is sent to Google and caninform future searches based on that primary media content.

The search results may be customized for the user's demographics (e.g.,age, gender, zip), if demographic data is known while in media datacollection mode. For example, a MediaGuide query based on a Trailblazerbasketball game by a 19 year old male in Portland can report the mostpopular auxiliary content consumed by other users of similar profile.

It will be recognized that the just-detailed arrangement is a departurefrom the usual careful scripting of content consumption. Historically,commercial entities—such as advertisers and content networks—pairedprimary content with auxiliary content (consider broadcast televisionand associated commercials). The present approach, in contrast, taps awealth of information by examining actual user behavior—establishingappropriate content pairings organically rather than by fiat.

While described in the context of Google offerings, any number ofparticular implementations is of course possible. One employs PersonalPeople Meters (PPMs)—pager-sized devices that sense ambient media foraudience survey purposes (see, e.g., Nielsen patent publication20090070797, and Arbitron U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,871,180 and 7,222,071).Audience survey companies recruit and compensate individuals to wearsuch meters. These same individuals may be recruited to install softwarewith their web browsers to report what web sites are visited, when. Anindividual's web site data and PPM data can then be temporallycorrelated to establish associations between web content and broadcastcontent.

Similarly, instead of using the Google Toolbar software, such datacollection can be effected by a network-connected media monitoringdevice, such as the one detailed in Nielsen's patent publication20080320508.

It will be recognized that the technology detailed herein offersenhanced audience measurement for television and other content. Theoperator of such a system receives real-time information about theconsumption of media worldwide. Audience analysis techniques, such asused by Nielsen and Arbitron, can be employed.

Moreover, the detailed system provides another dimension of audienceinformation, namely information about co-consumed content. This can beof particular use to advertisers.

Consider a company that wants to promote its product to a particulardemographic that is not tracked by traditional television audiencemeasurement surveys, e.g., frequent leisure travelers. In the past,other metrics have been used as gross proxies for the desireddemographic, e.g., persons 49-64 with incomes over $100,000. But this isunsatisfactory—often identifying programs that are not relevant, orfailing to identify programs that are relevant.

Paired with web visit data, however, television audience measurementtakes on new meaning. Instead of identifying a demographic proxy for thetargeted group, the advertiser queries the just-detailed database withweb sites that serve the targeted group, e.g., Expedia, Travelocity,Priceline, Hotwire. In this mode of operation the database responds withthe names of television programs that most commonly are being renderedwhile such sites are being visited. Television programs that provide thedesired audience demographic are readily and confidently identified.

If a company wants to advertise on television programs popular withoff-roaders, it queries the database for programs associated with theweb sites Fourwheeler, Offroaders and Pirate4×4. If a company wants toadvertise on television shows watched by families dealing withAlzheimers, it queries the database for programs most-commonly watchedwhile surfing the Alzheimers' Association web site. For programs watchedby online gamers, it searches the database for programs airing whileusers are at popular gaming sites (e.g., World of Warcraft).

Such an approach provides a significant advance in the accuracy oftelevision audience measurement. No longer are viewers classified solelyby generic demographics such as age, geography, income, education, etc.Now their subjective interests are revealed—factors that distinguishstatistically identical neighbors. And such interests are not collectedusing questionnaires of uncertain reliability, but by reference toactual web browsing habits.

The ambient media information can be used in other ways as well. One isas cookie information. Cookies have long been used to allow websites totailor their presentations to returning users, e.g., customizing thepresented information based on users' past activities or interests.Likewise, information about a television program currently beingrendered to a user can be relayed to a web site to which the user surfs,and the web server can adapt its presentation accordingly. If sportsprogramming (e.g., content from ESPN) is sensed in the viewer'senvironment, and the user navigates to the New York Times website, theTimes web server may present sports news more prominently thanotherwise. Similarly, if the program Washington Week in Review isplaying in the user's environment, the Times web site may give greaterprominence to national political news in the first web page served tothe user.

This need not be implemented using traditional cookies. Other dataexchange arrangements can be used. One data exchange arrangement is asheader data in the HTTP packet sent to the New York Times web site,asking for a page to be loaded. The header data already carries avariety of information, such as data identifying the web site from whichthe user just navigated (the referring page). It can also carry dataidentifying the television program currently playing in the user'senvironment, so that the responding web site can adapt its contentaccordingly.

In this embodiment, as in others, the data identifying the televisionprogram can be of any form. Examples include ISAN identifiers,time/channel data, audio data from which a remote detector can discernidentifying watermark or fingerprint data, decoded watermark data,fingerprint data, EPG coordinates from a TiVo system, text title data(e.g., from an EPG), etc.

Organically Compiled Program Directory

The concept of a program guide is an old one, dating back to theearliest days of television, and printed TV Guide magazines. A griddedstructure is used, with columns indicating time (usually in 30 minuteincrements), and rows indicating channels.

With the development of cable networks featuring large numbers ofchannels, this gridded format migrated to scrolling on-screenguides—originally delivered on cable channels dedicated for thispurpose.

A great number of subsequent technical developments have occurred in thefield, but the gridded time/channel format remains entrenched.

Schedule data for TV Guide, and the later electronic counterparts, hastraditionally been compiled by a labor intensive process. Clericalworkers at TV Guide, and later Tribune Media Services, called televisionnetworks and individual stations on a regular basis to obtain programlineup information for the week ahead. When last minute program changesoccurred—as unavoidably happens—the guides presented incorrectinformation.

In accordance with aspects of the present technology, the inventorsbelieve that it is time to disintermediate programs from channels. Theconsumer has a display screen, on which content desirably appears(whether from TV broadcast, cable, web streams, iTunes, Netflix,peer-to-peer networks, etc.). Channels as an organizing principle haveoutlived their usefulness. (Identifying content by reference to channelsis akin to identifying postal mail by reference to the name of themailman that brings it to the door, or identifying a web page byreference to the data's routing through nodes of the internet.) Howcontent gets to the consumer's screen is of secondary interest—if that.

An embodiment incorporating this aspect of the technology may refer to aprogram-centric directory that details multiple alternate sources fromwhich content may be available. Instead of indicating a desired channel,a consumer indicates a desired program. An automated system, referringto the directory, chooses from among the available sources and presentsthe desired content on the screen. Only rarely does the consumer need tobe involved.

In one particular embodiment, the system employs stored heuristics andrules, which cooperate with user preference and profile data, to choosefrom among different sources for content. A user may express apreference, or a requirement, for downloaded content over streaming,free content over paid, no commercials, resolution of at least 1024×768,no delivery for sources that may be unauthorized, etc. Some suchpreferences may apply across all content types; others may be tailoredto particular types of content (e.g., theatrical movies and sports:prefer resolution of at least 1024×768; current events and comedy:prefer resolution of at least 720×480; paid content: require nocommercials). The preferences/requirements can be applied in aparticular order (e.g., always exercise the user's first preference,where possible, without regard to whether meeting that preference meansother preferences will not be met). Alternatively, the preferences canbe accorded different relative weightings, with a final choice made onlyafter each alternative has been scored in the aggregate—considering allthe relevant preferences and weightings.

Sometimes the rules/heuristics will refer the decision to the user. Forexample, a rule may specify not to automatically authorize any contentpayment exceeding $0.99 ($2.99 in the case of a movie within two weeksof its theatrical release). The user can then specify, through a phoneor other UI, whether to authorize the payment.

In other cases the user may specify and ordered list of preferredproviders. Obtain from Hulu, if available; else obtain from YouTube, ifavailable; else obtain from iTunes, if available; else present optionsto user for manual selection.

FIG. 5 illustrates a database record corresponding to an episode of theDaily Show program. The illustrated data structure gives informationabout the program, and lists various sources from which the program isavailable. Some are web sources. Some are TV sources. One is from a P2Pnetwork (Limewire).

Associated with each of the listed content outlets is furtherinformation about the content (metadata), such as an identifier used bythat outlet (e.g., 77973 for Hulu), the ISAN number for the content(where available), and information about availability of the contentfrom that outlet.

For some outlets, the availability information indicates that thecontent is available “on demand.” The information may further specifywhen the content was first available from that outlet, and may specifywhen availability is expected to end.

For example, the sample Daily Show episode was available on ComedyCentral (its originating network) at the date and time the episodeoriginally aired (i.e., 8:00 pm on June 15), and is available untilmidnight on the Sunday before the fifth week anniversary of the originalairing. The copy provided to Hulu, however, was embargoed for anhour—not being available from that source until 9:00 p.m., and isavailable from that source for only 30 days.

In the case of television broadcasts, the data structure includes apointer to a list of arbitrary length, detailing the original airing andall scheduled repeats of the program. Thus, the Comedy Central TV entryshows the original 8:00 p.m. airing, followed by a repeat at 10:30, 7:30the next morning, etc. (In the illustrated data record, all times arePacific.)

Included in the same database as contains the FIG. 5 information, or inanother, is a data structure that maps television networks to channels.For example, Comedy Central is channel 107 on the Dish Network, channel55 on Comcast, etc. By reference to such information, a user's systemcan locate the desired programming on different distribution systems.

FIG. 6 shows how the source data is collected. The content creatorprovides each item of content with an inherent identifier that can bedigitally extracted from the content wherever it goes. Digital watermarktechnology is preferred, although fingerprinting can also be used. Theidentifier is stored in a database, together with metadata about thecontent. The content is then distributed to one or more recipients, suchas television networks, web sites, etc.

Recipients of the content are equipped with watermark (and/orfingerprint) detectors (shown by triangles in FIG. 6) that read thecontent's inherent identifier, and issue reports back to a database.(See, e.g., Digimarc's patent publication 20070208711 for additionalinformation about such watermark/fingerprint detectors.) Desirably, eachrecipient includes recipient-specific information with the report, suchas particulars of the intended use. These particulars may includescheduling data (e.g., when the content is to be broadcast, when it isto be downloadable from the web, when availability will be discontinued,etc.). Other information may also be included, such as the format(s) inwhich the content is/will be available, the identifier assigned to thecontent by the recipient's system etc. The database thus has a record ofwhere the content is stored, together with all of the otherrecipient-contributed information.

In addition to locating detectors at content ingest points forauthorized distributors, the detectors (triangles in FIG. 6) may also beplaced elsewhere to identify the content at other locations, such as itleaks to unintended destinations. For example, an individual maydownload the content from a web site, and re-post it on a P2P networksite. A detector at an internet node may sense the P2P traffic, andsubmit information to the database identifying the P2P network as analternative source for the content.

FIG. 7 shows the content creator's (e.g., a movie studio's) part of theprocess in greater detail. The content is originally created by film ordigital capture. Dailies are reviewed by the production team, andediting takes places. If the content is originated in film, it isscanned into digital form.

The content is then digitally watermarked with a studio-assignedidentifier. (In some arrangements the content is watermarked stillearlier, such as at the production of dailies.) The watermark identifieris stored in a studio database, in association with metadata about thecontent. (Alternatively, or in addition, fingerprint data is extractedfrom the content, and similarly stored in the studio's database withassociated metadata.) Film prints and digital cinema files are createdand distributed.

The content creation process does not end with the theatrical releasematerials. Dozens of other cuts and/or formats of the content may beproduced, e.g., for television (in both standard definition and highdefinition), video on demand, airplane viewing, DVD releases, web videin a variety of formats including MPEG2, Adobe Flash, Windows MediaFormat, etc., etc. The content may also be sent to outside transcodingcompanies (e.g., Rhozet/Harmonic) for creation of files in still otherformats.

Desirably, the watermark is of a variety that allows successive layersof watermark data to be added. In such case, a second, different,watermark is applied to each variant of the content. These identifiers,too, are stored in the studio database with other associated information(e.g., about the cut and format).

The studio's database typically contains a great deal of proprietaryinformation. Thus, portions of the data suitable for publicdissemination (e.g., program title, synopsis, running time,watermark/fingerprint information etc.) may be sent to a differentdatabase, shown in FIG. 7 as the Program Directory Database. This is thedatabase in FIG. 6 that collects reports identifying all the sourcesfrom which the content may be available. It may be administered by anindustry association (e.g., the MPAA) or a contracted service provider(e.g., Secure Path).

In other arrangements, suitable protection mechanisms may allow portionsof the studio's internal database to be made accessible to outsiders forlimited purposes. In such case, the database of FIG. 6 may comprise afederated database—with many different portions, maintained by differentstudios and other content creators. Combinations of external andinternal databases can also be used.

FIG. 8 further details the system from the content distributor'sviewpoint (e.g., that of a television network, such as CBS). Contentarrives from the movie studio at the distributor's content ingestserver, accompanied by metadata. The metadata (which is typically“out-of-band” information, such as header data, or an accompanying file)details the content title, synopsis, running time, format particulars,file size, release date, etc. Both the content and the metadata areenrolled in the network's internal digital asset management system(“checked-in”).

The network adds its own metadata to the digital asset management systemin association with the checked-in content, detailing internaladministrative information, including when the content is scheduled forbroadcast, when it is scheduled for posting on the web, internalidentifiers, etc.

In compliance with a contractual requirement with the content creator(e.g., as part of a distribution agreement), as part of the check-inprocess, the content distributor sends at least some of the metadata itauthored and stored in its internal database—including scheduleinformation—to the Program Directory Database, where it is stored inassociation with the content.

Similarly, the content distributor can be contractually required toelectronically update the Program Directory Database when there is anychange to the earlier-provided information, or when new schedulinginformation becomes available (e.g., additional air dates, when thecontent is scheduled to be removed from the web, etc.).

By such an arrangement, the Program Directory Database growsorganically, with different parties contributing information as thecontent is first produced, and then distributed, and then as changesoccur. Supplemented with information contributed by monitoring nodesremote from expected content distributors, the Program DirectoryDatabase becomes a formidable collection of information about contentavailability from diverse sources—all compiled automatically. Moreover,it details availability far beyond the week or ten days that are typicalwith known electronic program guides.

Sometimes a content outlet may receive content but not then know theschedule by which it will be distributed. Nonetheless, the content isdetected by a watermark/fingerprint detector at the outlet's contentingest point, and a record of the content as being stored at that outlet(and the date/time of detection) can be entered into the ProgramDistribution Database.

Such a Program Directory Database can be used in the manners describedfor EPGs elsewhere in this specification. For example, the database canbe consulted by cell phone applications to find—and to schedule thedownloading of—desired content. If a user samples a program of interest,a quick check of the database can immediately reveal the many outletsand schedules by which full copies of the program are available. Adownload of the full program may be made immediately, or scheduled for alater time.

Sometimes a user may encounter (and the user's cell phone may sample) aprogram seen before—such as a particular episode of a series, such asFriends or House. A software application on the cell phone thatidentifies the program may summon, from the Program Directory Databaseor elsewhere, a listing of all episodes in the sampled series, andpresent the listing (with program synopses) to the user. The user maynot be interested in viewing the currently playing episode (since it waswatched previously), but may chose to watch, or schedule for laterdownloading, one or more un-viewed episodes in the series (includingboth repeated episodes, and episodes not yet aired). Thus, an encounterwith a repeated program may prompt a user to arrange for viewing ofanother episode of the same series. The Program Directory Databasefacilitates identification and location of such other episode forviewing. (In some embodiments, a file may be compiled identifying all ofthe episodes of a series downloaded and/or viewed by a user. This canserve as a ready reference to identify un-watched episodes of theseries.)

Known user interface paradigms from EPGs can be employed in connectionwith the presently described Program Directory Database. For example, auser may identify certain programs or genres as Favorites, and suchprograms may be featured more prominently in a user-customizedpresentation of the database contents.

Some user interfaces may feature visual icons—or thumbnails—forprograms, by which they are iconically represented.Thematically-consistent variants may be employed to represent differentforms of content availability, e.g., web-based, streaming, download,pay, high definition, etc. For example, the same basic artwork may beused for all icons for a particular program, with different styles ofborders to indicate the different variants. Such icons may be organizedin folders corresponding to different programs. A folder for aparticular program may also include icons representing auxiliary contentthat is associated with such program (e.g., information on characters,blooper reels, contests to win studio audience tickets, widgets, etc).As described elsewhere in this specification, the user may be providedan opportunity to submit feedback to the program (e.g., on plotdecisions, character actions and motivations, etc); the program foldercan include one or more icons that launch applications by which suchfeedback may be submitted.

Desirably, differently formatted versions of the same content are mergedtogether under a single program entry (e.g., represented as a folder) inthe Program Directory Database, as presented to the user. (E.g., unlikepresent channel-centric EPG displays, a user would not be presented withentirely different entries for the High Definition and StandardDefinition counterparts of the same broadcast, such as on ESPN andESPN-HD.)

In addition to folders for user-defined favorites, the user interface bywhich contents of the Program Directory Database are presented to theuser may include folders for specials, late breaking news, and otherprograms of potential interest to the user that do not have dedicatedfolders.

In some implementations, the information in the Program DirectoryDatabase is checked on a periodic or ongoing basis, for accuracy. Forexample, a monitoring service—such as offered by Nielsen—may samplelocal television channels to confirm that programs are available inaccordance with the indicated schedules. If not, the database record canbe flagged as possibly in error, and follow-up action can be taken toredress any related mistakes in the directory, and to ensure thatsimilar errors don't recur. Such a monitoring service can likewise checkweb availability of content. If it finds that particular content is nolonger available from a web outlet shown in the Program DirectoryDatabase to have such content, the database record can be amendedaccordingly.

Watermark/fingerprint detectors may be located at other locations in thecontent distribution workflow—other than at public content outlets. Forexample, companies that offer transcoding, subtitling, and DVD authoringservices may have detectors at their ingest servers—reporting contentupon its receipt. These reports may be logged in the Program DirectoryDatabase, but access to these reports may be limited to the content'soriginator (e.g., studio). Alternatively, such detectors may report suchcontent to a private database at the content originator.

In still another variant, users' cell phones can generate contentreports that are provided to the Program Directory Database. Forexample, if a user browsing the internet happens across an episode ofFriends from a particular social networking web site, this fact may bereported to the Program Directory Database, and the web site can beadded as an alternative outlet for the content (if not already listed).Likewise, if a user samples a television broadcast (which may bewatermark-encoded with a source ID and timestamp, as described above),the content may be identified (by watermark or fingerprint), and thisinformation reported to the Program Directory Database to check thedatabase accuracy, and/or for audience survey purposes.

Immersive Content

In recent years television programming has shifted from the “lean-back”passive entertainment of decades past to the “lean-forward”entertainment that almost invites viewers to shout at the TV, such asJerry Springer's combative offerings.

Some emerging technologies offer the promise of 3D television, hoping tofurther engage viewers. However, practical problems with the userexperience, such as prompting headaches, and triggering epilepticseizures, may limit the practical prospects for such physicallyimmersive experiences.

Better, it seems to the present applicants, are technologies that allowgreater user immersion without the disorientation that attends 3D andother virtual reality experiences.

In accordance with this aspect of the present technology, users areinvited to engage with the characters, plot and environment oftelevision and other content programs in a participatory manner,typically through a user interface provided by an associated cell phoneapplication.

In one particular arrangement, aspects of the program are influenced bythe audience—either collectively or individually. For example, users mayopt to expose certain personal profile information from their phone tothe originator or distributor of the content. If a particular program isthereby found to have a viewership with an unusually large percentage oftruck owners (or wine drinkers), then truck companies (or wine brands)may be accorded differential treatment in the program's productionand/or advertising sponsors—shaping the content or commercial offeringsto correspond to the audience. In some instances the adaptation canoccur in nearly real-time, such as by advertising being inserteddynamically based on current context—just as Google's Adwords tailor adsto accompany web search results. In other arrangements, the audienceprofile information is provided to the program's writers, and is used toadapt the plot and/or other program features in accordance with theusers' profile information.

If a program has a high percentage of Budweiser beer drinkers, MillerBrewing Company may be willing to pay a premium ad rate to be promotedduring such a program.

Television and online content may take a lesson from massivelymultiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) such as World ofWarcraft, in which teams of players (“Guilds”) have collective sets oftalents, tools, and other assets, which determine the teams' successesand failures. Likewise with an audience for entertainment content. Thecomposition and attributes of the audience collectively can be used toinfluence the content's plot, the characters' motivations andsuccesses/failures, the advertising, etc.

Different viewers may ally themselves with different characters in aprogram's cast. For example, in the program Friends, some viewers mayenter information through the cell phone's user interface identifyingthemselves with Phoebe, others with Monica, others with Chandler, otherswith Ross, etc. Each program character may act, in some respects, as aproxy for the corresponding segment of the viewing audience. Theaudience can offer suggestions, advice, decisions, etc., which mayinfluence the way the character responds, or other twists and turns ofthe plot. (The audience may urge Chandler that he is not ready topropose marriage to Monica.)

In one particular arrangement, a program may be originally produced withseveral alternate plot paths (akin to the Choose Your own Adventureseries of children's books). Depending on audience sentiment expressedthrough their cell phones, the plot may proceed in different ways (e.g.,by playing one of plural different recorded segments for differentportions of the program).

In another arrangement, audience feedback is provided to the program'sproducers, who tailor writing of forthcoming episodes in accordance withsuch feedback.

Sometimes the audience is given the opportunity to judge differentprogram characters. In the program The Mole, for example, a cast ofcharacters works to achieve a shared goal, but includes a double-agentsaboteur—trying to foil the group, who needs to conceal his identity. Atthe end of each episode the audience can be polled for their assessmentof who is the mole. The character with the least number of audiencevotes can then be removed from the cast for the next episode.

In still another arrangement, characters in reality and other liveaction shows are literally informed of viewer feedback, clues,motivation, or instructions, and tailor their actions accordingly. Alive comedy show may take user-submitted ideas or dilemmas as the basesfor improvisational comedy sketches, which are performed after givingthe comedy troop a few minutes to put together their skit.

Great Broadway actors tell of their sense of being responsive to theparticular audience in attendance at each performance. Comedians such asLily Tomlin conspicuously adapt their acts to the particular audiencebefore which they are performing. Although the cell phone interface doesnot provide quite the immediacy or intimacy of a live audience, it stillallows a great step forward in enabling a performance to be adapted tothe viewing audience. (With accelerometers, magnetometers, multi-touchuser interface capabilities, etc., cell phones offer far richercapabilities to provide feedback than other devices available in thepast, e.g., television remote controls.) New hybrids of electroniccontent can thereby be realized, incorporating both scripted aspects,and aspects dependent on the viewing audience.

On-the-fly adaptation of program plot and content to reflect userfeedback is becoming easier as more programming becomes whollysynthetic. That is, for programs produced with animated computergenerated imagery, rather than live actors and physical sets, the plotcan be dynamically configured based on real-time audience suggestions.(E.g., a Chandler-like character may miss the subway train on his way topropose marriage to a Monica-like character—delaying his arrival untilafter she's left for the evening—all in accordance with a CGI scriptadapted per audience suggestion. Or an action character can reach foreither a sword or his left hip, or a mace on his right, depending on thedirection that most of the audience members move their cell phones.)While popular animated Pixar productions take great lengths of time toanimate and render, the lower resolutions needed for productions to bepresented on televisions and cell phone screens—together with thecontinued exponential growth of processing power per Moore's Law, makesaudience-responsive animation and rendering possible.

In some arrangements, a program may include one or more avatars whoseactions and/or motivations are established in accordance with input fromthe whole audience, or a portion. (E.g., content featuring a Civil Warbattle may include an avatar hero in the Confederate Army, responsive toinput from viewers in the Confederate states, and an avatar hero in theUnion Army, responsive to input from the northern states.)

(Reference has been made to controlling motivations. A single motivationmay dictate a large set of consequent actions. Thus, if a hero'smotivation is to rescue the damsel, even at the price of his own life,then numerous actions in the ensuing scenes may logically follow. If thehero's motivation is instead to vanquish the opponent and live to tellabout it, then a different set of actions may logically follow.Depending on circumstance, receiving audience input as to charactermotivation may be preferable to receiving audience input as toindividual actions.)

Names and/or locations of participating audience members can besubmitted together with their content input. The program can incorporatesuch names into the story line. (E.g., on arriving at Monica'sapartment, Chandler may note “I rode up the elevator with a guy namedTony, visiting from Portland, who said he could see my aura, and said itlooked disturbed. Do you think my aura looks disturbed?”) Subplots mayunfold based on the input of audience participants.

If audience avatars are included in a program, they may be given thenames most common among participating audience members—increasingaudience affinity to the content. Or an avatar name may be assignedotherwise, such as the name of a first viewer to correctly respond to aquestion, etc. Or instead of naming the avatar after an audience member,an audience member who wins a competition may be granted the privilegeof assigning the avatar a name of his/her choosing.

A plot may be scripted to include rhetorical questions, or questionsbetween characters, to which the audience can also respond. (“I don'tknow if I should wear this red dress for my date tomorrow with Chandler;maybe it's too forward.”) Depending on the audience response, she may ormay not choose to wear the red dress (and may credit advice given by a“Tony” for her decision).

In some cases, viewers may submit voiced (audio) instructions or otheraudio input. Such audio input may be incorporated into the soundtrack ofthe content—further increasing viewer involvement. (The soundtrack to amob scene may comprise dozens or hundreds of superimposed audio tracks,submitted by audience members using their cell phones.)

Naturally, audience members whose suggestions are adopted in the storyas it unfolds (or whose audio is incorporated) will take pride in theirinvolvement—giving them some bragging rights in water cooler discussionsat the office, etc.

In accordance with another aspect of the present technology, cell phonesmay be used to signal the “thumbs-up” or “thumbs-down” that were used toindicate gladiators' fates in ancient Rome. However, instead of theEmperor passing judgment, it is the collective audience.

The “thumbs-up” or “thumbs-down” signals may be entered by various userinterface controls, by shaking the phone while right-side-up, or byshaking it while inverted, or by other gestures or actions.

If an audience signals approval for a first game show contestant, anddisapproval for a second, the show's producers may increase the firstcontestant's likelihood of winning.

Gestural use of a cell phone to signal input to an unfolding plot can beused to good effect in large audiences, such as in a theatricalauditorium screening of an action movie. The audience can be invited tothrust and jab, as with a sword, to help a hero defeat an on-screenvillain. Again, the battle can unfold with different outcomes, dependingon the participation of the audience (e.g., by selecting one of twoearlier-produced different endings, or by animating different computergraphics sequences that are that are rendered on the fly).

In still another aspect, mobile phones are used as input devices at liveperformance venues, such as concerts. The audience can use the cellphones to tell the performers what songs they want played, and suggestencore tunes. The concert promoter may publish a software applicationfor submitting such input, and may require that users provide theiremail addresses (and optionally other demographic data) in order toactivate the capability. By so doing, of course, the promoter gains avaluable marketing resource. The glow of cell phone screens from concertaudiences may replace the glow of lighter flames to signal audienceaffinity for the concert performer.

In still another aspect, the features just-described (e.g., providinguser input to content programming) may be complemented by data going theother way, i.e., from the content program to the users' cell phones. Thecontent may include watermark or other encoded data that triggers asynchronized action by the user's cell phone. This can include thevarious forms of auxiliary content detailed in this application andthose incorporated by reference. An interplay may take place, in whichuser input triggers responsive action in the content, which in turntriggers responsive action in the auxiliary content, and back and forth.

By arrangements such as the foregoing, users may involve themselves incontent as it unfolds, with their actions and views influencing programactions and plot twists. Instead of the passive, lean-back viewing ofdecades past, or the shout-at-the-TV viewing invited by some currentprogramming, viewers are granted control of the programming inunprecedented manners—through gestural or other interaction with theirmobile phones, yielding more fully-engaging, immersive experiences.

Screen Switching

In accordance with a still further aspect of the present technology,users are provided straight-forward means for switching content from thesmall screen (e.g., a cell phone) to a nearby big screen (e.g.,television display), or vice versa.

In one form, this means comprises a user interface control that sendsinstructions to the destination screen, by which it can continue theuser experience presently underway on the current screen (e.g.,rendering of entertainment content, etc.). For web content, such as avideo download from YouTube, the cell phone can send a pointer to theweb site, together with state data for the video player application,e.g., detailing the current point in the video and buffered content. Fora video game, the cell phone can similarly send current stateinformation to the processor in the television computer—allowing it toresume from the current state.

In some implementations, the transfer may be effected using the Bonjourprotocol—advising the receiving processor of the information availablefor transfer, and inviting the receiving processor to take over.

In some instances, rather than “push” the content from the presentscreen onto a different device screen, the destination device cancommunicate with the currently-playing device, to “pull” the content.

In other applications, the originally displayed content may be under thecontrol of a Java application, such as a BDJ application provided with aBlu-ray disc, or a Tru2Way application provided by a cable company'sinteractive service. Such content can be provided to another screen byloading a counterpart Java application on the receiving computer, andinitializing its execution state in accordance with the execution stateof the originating computer at the moment of the requested transfer.

One such Java application is a program that allows viewers to play alongwith game shows, such as Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (in which acontestant elects how many questions to answer for doubled- ornothing-stakes), or Deal or No Deal (in which a contestant chooses a boxwith an unknown cash prize, from a set of boxes whose cash prizes arecollectively known; the contents of other boxes are then successivelyrevealed, indicating—by the process of elimination—prizes that are notin the chosen box; a banker offers the contestant an alternative cashdeal whose value fluctuates as the process of elimination continues).

A viewer watching such a content program can elect to receive a Javacounterpart of the game (e.g., as auxiliary content—using arrangementsdescribed elsewhere in this specification). The Java version is loaded(and periodically updated) with the particular parameters of the episodebeing played. At any point in the episode the viewer can pause theregular presentation of the game, and try playing the game to the endwith the Java application. The viewer can then compare his or herresults with that of the televised contestant.

(The original content program may be paused automatically when the Javaversion of the game is activated. Pausing may comprise a TiVo pauseoperation, which buffers ongoing content delivery on a local or remotedisc. Or the original game may be delivered in an on-demand mode from acable or online source, and pausing can be achieved simply byinstructing the downloaded stream to stop, and resume later.)

As another example, consider a person playing World of Warcraft on ahome PC, who wants to continue the game while riding a bus. By operationof a content-transfer user interface control on the user's cell phone,state information about the game is transferred to the phone (togetherwith game software, if not already present) and the player can resumeaction on the small screen.

Consider also a person playing a game or watching content on a bigscreen, whose cell phone receives content (e.g., images) send by afriend. To better view the received content, the user may operate acontrol on the cell phone interface (or on the big screen interface) toautomatically pause the big screen content, and display instead theinformation sent to the cell phone. After reviewing the images on thebig screen, the user may invoke a messaging application—still on the bigscreen—to respond with comments back to the friend. With anotheroperation of the UI control, the big screen then resumes the originalcontent presentation.

Users may want to use the big screen for many such operations, such asviewing pictures and videos, video messaging, reading, control/set-up,etc. The big screen becomes an extension of the cell phone's userinterface. Content delivered to cell phones can be authored with thiscapability in mind, e.g., integrating a Screen Transfer button into theuser interface that controls the content.

In this and other of the detailed arrangements, screen switching can befacilitated by utilizing cloud resources for most of the associatedprocessing (e.g., game play, user interface operation, etc.). The cloudresource receives user input from UI controls on big- and small-screendevices, and dynamically produces responsive MPEG streams that are sentto destination devices and rendered to the user. The user issuing acommand on, e.g., a cell phone, quickly sees a responsive screendisplay—as if the cell phone is responding to the user command. In fact,it is the cloud processing that is responding; the user is simplywatching a video of a remotely-authored response. By performingprocessing in the cloud, and using the cell phone (or big screenprocessor) simply as an input-output peripheral, switching screensbecomes easy. The MPEG stream authored in the cloud, responsive to userinput, is simply routed to a desired local device.

Returning to the World of Warcraft game, the user controls the programas is customary. However, the user's input is sent to the cloudprocessor, which interacts with the game and feeds a responsive MPEGstream back to the user's PC. When the user wants to take the game ontothe bus, the destination for the remotely computed MPEG stream is simplyswitched to the user's cell phone.

In the case of viewing pictures (e.g. JPEG images) sent by a friend tothe user's cell phone, the JPEG imagery is decompressed and presented asframes of video sent to the cell phone. A single picture is continuouslyrendered until the user operates a user interface control to advance tothe next picture. This command is relayed to the cloud processor, whichthen presents the next picture as a series of video frames. When theuser wants to switch to the big display for viewing, the MPEG stream issimply re-routed to the desired display.

By such arrangements, users can switch between small- and big-screenpresentations of content, and—if desired—may interrupt the usual linearunfolding of entertainment content by electing to become activelyinvolved in content-related activities.

Additional Information

Google recently announced Google Voice, which offers a number ofimprovements to traditional telephone systems. Vonage and Skype alsooffer advanced telephony features. Such features can be used inconjunction with application of the present technology.

For example, such a service can establish rules governing how the user'sphone may be employed to convey media reminders. The service can bearranged to permit delivery of television program reminders to the useronly between the hours of 8 pm and 10 pm on Monday-Thursday, and between9 am and 11 pm on Friday-Sunday, but not if the user's current locationis determined to be at a movie theatre or at work, etc.

Other features of Google Voice can be employed as well. One is locatingthe user. If a user sets Google Voice to ring phones at her office,residence, and beach house, and the user answers a call on the beachhouse phone, location data for the user is thereby generated. Thisinformation can be used with the location-based services detailed herein(as well as other location-based services).

The voice to text transcription services offered by Google Voice can beemployed to transcribe the audio of primary or auxiliary content totext, which can be provided to the user by known arrangements (email,SMS texting, FAX, etc.). For some usage scenarios, text is a better formof data than audio, as the user can skim or study different partsdepending on their interest.

Privacy concerns arise whenever user information is involved. Naturally,any implementation of the present technology should pay appropriateregard to protecting user privacy. In some arrangements the user isgiven the opportunity to share more or less information, therebyincreasing or decreasing functionality of the different systemsdetailed.

Devices other than cell phones can be used in connection with thedescribed arrangements. In some embodiments, information and content isrouted directly to such devices. In others, a cell phone receives thedata, and relays it to other devices (e.g., nearby devices, or devicesassociated with a common network), such as by WiFi, Bluetooth orBonjour.

The user's profile data can include data indicating a subset of thetelevision programming universe of interest (or not of interest) to theuser. In one embodiment, this profile data takes the form of channels inthe EPG (or programs in the Program Directory Database) that are to beincluded or excluded. (ESPN may be “in,” Home Shopping Network may be“out.”) Profile data for a user can also indicate social groups of whichthe user is a member, such as a fantasy football league or a Facebookgroup. Not just the fact of membership, but additional information aboutthe group, its membership, and its activities, can be used to helpidentify primary and auxiliary content of potential interest. (If auser's fantasy football team includes players from four NFL teams, theuser may be interested in receiving text alerts from the home TiVosystem whenever any of those four teams plays.)

Although little has been said about advertisers, they doubtless willhave a role to play. One is serving in the traditional role of anunderwriting sponsor for programming. Another is as a provider ofauxiliary content, including applications.

Consider a pizza chain that offers a discount application downloadablefrom the Apple iPhone App store. The application provides a $10 discountoff a $20 pizza order when a viewer has watched certain contentsponsored by the pizza chain. The cell phone senses the rendering of thesponsored content to the viewer—qualifying the viewer for the discount.Since the cell phone knows the user's location, it can identify thenearest branch of the pizza store, send a viewing confirmation to thatstore, and arrange for payment and delivery.

Certain embodiments of the present technology make use of inferences.Inferences can have probabilistic results: e.g., a system may concludethere is a 60% chance the user is watching the Seahawks game, and a 40%chance the user is watching the Trailblazers game. Choices for auxiliarycontent can be similarly weighted. For example, three of five optionspresented to the user by a menu of second screen content may relate toSeahawks or football; two of the five may relate to Trailblazers orbasketball.

In some embodiments, determinations about a user's viewing activity—athome and away—are tracked and collected in a data store, e.g., a disk ormemory connected to a user's home network, or maintained by a serviceprovider, such as Nielsen, Google, or Comcast. This data store can be ahub about which auxiliary content determinations for the user are made.In some arrangements, information about auxiliary content chosen by theuser can also be included. This collected data can serve as a source forprofile data, and to help discern the user's activities in futurecontexts that may otherwise be ambiguous.

With appropriate permissions, such information may be shared—in realtime, or occasionally—with content providers and other parties, so thatthey can offer tailored auxiliary content for that user's consumption.In some embodiments the information is shared only with the entitiesinvolved in delivering particular content to the user. For example,information about the user's viewing of ESPN programming may be sharedonly with ESPN. In other embodiments the information is shared with abroader class of entities. This latter arrangement, for example, canallow CBS, NBC, ABC and FOX to offer auxiliary content corresponding toan ESPN football game.

(Such collected information may also be shared with audience measuremententerprises.)

Different networks may all have different strategies for the secondscreen. Fox, NBC, ESPN may all have different auxiliary content forsimilar primary content.

While the specification discusses estimating a program that the user maybe watching (or may watch in the future), several programs can besimilarly estimated. If the user is asked for confirmation, she mayidentify one of several as being watched.

While this specification earlier noted its relation to the assignee'sprevious patent filings, it bears repeating. These disclosures should beread in concert and construed as a whole. Applicants intend thatfeatures in each be combined with features in the others. Thus, forexample, arrangements employing widget-related technology as detailed inapplication 61/150,235 may be implemented to also include features andarrangements detailed in the present application—and vice versa. Audiosampling an airport television monitor to trigger a DVR back home torecord the same or a preceding program, as detailed in application Ser.No. 12/271,772, can likewise query a crowd-sourced database to identifyrelated auxiliary content as detailed in the present specification.Pushing various auxiliary content to a cell phone through which a usercan scroll with arrow keys, as detailed in application Ser. No.12/484,115 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,385,971), can be employed in systemsusing the present application's circumstance-based guess about thecontent to which the user is currently being exposed, as detailed in thepresent application. The referral of some content recognition tasks, orcomponent tasks, to outside service providers—possibly on a reverseauction basis, as detailed in application Ser. No. 12/484,115—cansimilarly be employed in embodiments of the presently-describedtechnology. Etc., etc. Thus, it should be understood that the methods,elements and concepts disclosed in the present application be combinedwith the methods, elements and concepts detailed in those relatedapplications. While some have been particularly detailed in the presentspecification, many have not—due to the large number of permutations andcombinations. However, implementation of all such combinations isstraightforward to the artisan from the provided teachings.

DVRs are usually home-based devices. But they need not be so.Embodiments of the present technology can use all manner of recordingdevices—wherever located. (Cablevision is offering a consumer DVRservice where the actual recording is done at a head-end in a cabledistribution system.)

While FIG. 1 shows the second screen auxiliary content as being conveyedseparately than the primary content, in other arrangements they can beconveyed together, or using the same distribution system.

In some implementations, the user's proximity to other people can beused in estimating the user's activity. For example, if the user is inproximity to buddies from an after-work basketball league, this factormay make it more likely that the user is watching a basketball game (ifthe month is March) or a football game (if the month is November). Incontrast, if the user is in proximity with his wife, and it is aMonday-Thursday evening, this factor may suggest that the user iswatching the Daily Show on Comedy Central. Proximity can be sensedelectronically, e.g., by Bluetooth signals, by comparison of locationdata, etc.

As indicated, the meaning of physical proximity depends on therequirements of a particular implementation. Physically proximate canmean within a certain distance (e.g., 10 yards, or 100 yards), within acommon dwelling, within line of sight, served by a common network,within range of a short range wireless service like WiFi or Bluetooth,etc.—depending on the application.

The specification refers to television programs. But this is a shorthandthat is meant to encompass any video content—regardless of how producedor delivered. For example, a television program can be a traditionalprogram—distributed simultaneously across multiple different networks toplural consumers. Or it can be content distributed using other models,such as web casts, YouTube, Hulu, Video on Demand (e.g., Netflix),Boxee, DVD, theatrical presentations, etc.

Looking forward, content programmers may create libraries of enhancedmedia experiences, each customized to individual users, comprising abasic content theme (e.g., a basketball game) in which complementaryexperiences (auxiliary content) are dynamically selected by andnavigated by the user. The paradigm of a television screen and a cellphone may be eclipsed by more immersive rendering systems and by morecapable user interfaces. One user may choose a Howard Cosell avatar tonarrate a Jets football game, and may engage the avatar in interactivespoken dialog to clarify particular points. Another may simply chosesideline commentary by a graying Joe Namath.

Reference was made to a Program Directory Database. Once the data iscompiled by the detailed automated techniques, it can be presented, usedand disseminated according to techniques discussed elsewhere in thisspecification in connection with EPGs, and otherwise—as known fromexisting EPG prior art. Prior art EPG technologies are not detailed inthis specification; the reader is referred to the existing literaturefor further information. (This literature includes Davis et al U.S. Pat.Nos. 5,559,548, 5,576,755, 5,585,866, 5,589,892, 5,635,978, 5,781,246,5,822,123, 5,986,650, 6,016,141, 6,141,488, 6,275,268, 6,275,648,6,331,877, 6,418,556, 6,604,240, and 6,771,317, and U.S. Pat. No.7,263,202 to the present inventors concerning use of watermarking inconnection with EPGs.)

While the present technology is described in the context of providingauxiliary content to complement primary video content, the sameprinciples are applicable elsewhere, e.g., in other devices that respondto circumstances and/or their environment. Thus, for example, auxiliarycontent can be associated with any object, including physical objects. Auser taking a picture of the Eiffel Tower, or a carton of milk, may bepresented with a menu of associated content using principles detailedherein.

It will be recognizing that certain of the above-detailed arrangementsare specialized cases of a larger concept—technologies that help presentcontent responsive to a user's environment.

Some researchers foresee the day when all of our daily experiences arecaptured in digital form. Indeed, Gordon Bell at Microsoft has compileda digital archive of his recent existence through his technologiesCyberAll, SenseCam and MyLifeBits. Included Bell's archive arerecordings of all telephone calls, video of daily life, captures of allTV and radio consumed, archive of all web pages visited, map data of allplaces visited, polysomnograms for his sleep apnea, etc., etc., etc.(For further information see, e.g., Bell, A Digital Life, ScientificAmerican, March, 2007; Gemmell, MyLifeBits: a personal database foreverything, Microsoft Research Technical Report MSR-TR-2006-23; Gemmell,Passive Capture and Ensuing Issues for a Personal Lifetime Store,Proceedings of The First ACM Workshop on Continuous Archival andRetrieval of Personal Experiences (CARPE '04), pp. 48-55; Wilkinson,Remember This, The New Yorker, May 27, 2007. See also the otherreferences cited at Gordon's Bell's Microsoft Research web page, and theACM Special Interest Group web page for CARPE (Capture, Archival &Retrieval of Personal Experiences) web page.)

A more practical example is a cell phone that captures aspects of auser's daily experiences through frequent sampling of audio (e.g., fivethousand samples per second, continuously; or ten thousand samples persecond for sequences of twelve seconds every minute, etc.). Thesesamples can be sent to the user's home for further query at the user'sexplicit request, or they may accompany the user and provide data onwhich other operations can be based.

Consider a user who hears a song of interest while at a restaurant. At alater time she physically or wirelessly links her cell phone with herlaptop, which runs the Google Toolbar. (Or the cell phone may itself runthe Google Toolbar.) While the Google Toolbar maintains a history ofpast searches, the cell phone provides a history of past experiences.Using a user interface for this task provided by the Google Toolbar, theuser quickly navigates through audio samples from the day (e.g., bytimestamp, GPS location tag, etc.) and finds the sample taken at therestaurant. The Google Toolbar processes the identified audio andreturns metadata for the song, such as title name, artist and album.However, unlike competing services (such as Shazam), the sampled historyallows the user to mine past experiences—in some cases investigatingcaptured information that didn't become of interest until later.

In another arrangement all of the sampled audio is provided to Google(as it is captured, or later). Google initiates searches, and annotatesthe audio data with (or otherwise provides) results, such as metadata;speech-to-text data; links to Wikipedia and other web resourcescorresponding to audibly discernible words—and concepts abstracted fromthe words by NLP, etc. When the user later reviews the audio data, thisenhancement information is immediately available.

Crowdsourcing, and location data can be employed to good effect. Forexample, Google may identify a dozen other patrons who were in therestaurant at the same time as the user, by reference to GPS data andtimestamps. Audio captured by those patrons can be considered inconjunction with audio captured by the user, to more completelycharacterize the user's audio environment (e.g., an uninterrupted streamof audio may be assembled from the occasional audio samples captured bythe different phones). Google can analyze this augmented patchwork ofaudio to yield more and/or better information, and make this informationavailable to users, e.g., in accordance with the respective time periodthat each was in the restaurant.

In another implementation, Google may make available results fromanalysis of other patrons' audio data—either searches that the patronsexpressly requested, or analyses that Google conducted autonomously. Ifa person at the next table ordered a chocolate soufflé, Google's searchof the term—which it recognized and combined with the restaurant name inone of its data mining efforts—may reveal the restaurant's recipe forthat dessert as published in Gourmet magazine three years ago. Suchinformation may be included among the results presented to the user,even though it was based on audio captured at another patron's table. Inlike fashion, the restaurant's menu may be reconstructed from therepeatedly-spoken entrée names—contextually recognized by the analysissoftware (e.g., as following the audio clue “May I take your order?”)and made available to all users known—by GPS data—to have visited therestaurant (whether or not they captured audio there).

In still other arrangements, captured audio is fed to Googlecontinuously, and analyzed immediately. Google streams the results ofits analyses back to the users' cell phones, where they are buffered forreview. (Some analyses may take longer than others, so the returningdata flow may not be strictly chronological, but the returning data mayeach be associated with a timestamp indicating the excerpt of audio towhich it corresponds, so the information can be presented in appropriateorder.) At any point a user can scroll back through their experience(perhaps using a user interface suited for temporally arranged data,such as the “cover flow” interface used by Apple in the iPod anddetailed in its patent publication 20080174570) to examine capturedinformation, and to review corresponding information returned by Google.

(In the arrangements just-detailed, the fact that the patrons are in acommon environment (i.e., the restaurant) can be ascertained by lookingup their respective latitude/longitude coordinates in a geolocationdatabase, such as the GeoPlanet service noted above. To a low level offunctional granularity, e.g., to the level of street address or businessname, the patrons' latitude/longitude coordinates all correspond to thesame location.)

Various references have been made to Bonjour. Bonjour is Apple's tradename for its implementation of Zeroconf—a service discovery protocol.Bonjour locates devices on a local network, and identifies services thateach offers, using multicast Domain Name System service records. Thissoftware is built into the Apple MAC OS X operating system, and is alsoincluded in the Apple “Remote” application for the iPhone, where it isused to establish connections to iTunes libraries via WiFi. (TiVo usesBonjour to locate digital video recorders and shared media libraries.)

Bonjour services are implemented at the application level largely usingstandard TCP/IP calls, rather than in the operating system. Apple hasmade the source code of the Bonjour multicast DNS responder—the corecomponent of service discovery—available as a Darwin open sourceproject. The project provides source code to build the responder daemonfor a wide range of platforms, including Mac OS X, Linux, *BSD, Solaris,and Windows. In addition, Apple provides a user-installable set ofservices called Bonjour for Windows, as well as Java libraries.

As indicated, Bonjour can be employed to serve various functions inimplementations of the present technology. For example, a DVR can useBonjour to periodically (e.g., every second or every several seconds)send out on a home network subnet one or more packets identifying theprogramming it is currently rendering (or recording), and identifyingauxiliary content corresponding to that programming. It may alsoidentify its own location, its registered user(s), andfunctions/services it offers, as well as detailing other programmingchoices that are currently available according to EPG data, andaccording to listings of previous recordings. These Bonjour broadcastsall include the DVR's IP address, so that responding systems can requestfrom the DVR further information or content. Likewise, a cell phone cansimilarly transmit information identifying its status, the content it isrendering, its location, its available functions/services, profile dataof the user, etc.

Other software can alternatively, or additionally, be used to exchangedata between devices. Examples include Universal Plug and Play (UPnP)and its successor Devices Profile for Web Services (DPWS). These areother protocols implementing zero configuration networking services,through which devices can connect, identify themselves, advertiseavailable capabilities to other devices, share content, etc.

The artisan is presumed to be familiar with such software tools.

It will be recognized that certain embodiments of the present technologyallow plural viewers to have individual viewing experiences onindividual screens, without interfering with a collective group viewingexperience on a shared screen. The net result is an enhanced socialexperience, in which the individuals can contribute differentperspectives to a robust group experience.

Concluding Notes

Having described and illustrated the principles of our inventive workwith reference to illustrative examples, it will be recognized that thetechnology is not so limited.

For example, while reference has been made to cell phones, it will berecognized that this technology finds utility with all manner ofdevices—both portable and fixed. PDAs, organizers, portable musicplayers, desktop computers, wearable computers, servers, etc., can allmake use of the principles detailed herein. Particularly contemplatedcell phones include the Apple iPhone, and cell phones following Google'sAndroid specification (e.g., the G1 phone, manufactured for T-Mobile byHTC Corp.). The term “cell phone” should be construed to encompass allsuch devices, even those that are not strictly-speaking cellular, nortelephones.

(Details of the iPhone, including its touch interface, are provided inApple's published patent application 20080174570.)

For expository convenience, concepts noted in this specification areusually described singly. However, these concepts can be combined innearly unlimited combinations (including concepts detailed in theincorporated-by-reference documents), e.g., so that a cell phone orsystem can employ multiple of the described features detailed. Suchcombinations expressly fall within the disclosure of this application.

While the specification and drawings describe data as being stored incertain devices, this is illustrative only. Data can be stored anywhere(even in “cloud” storage), and made available whenever and whereverneeded. Similarly, various operations are described as being performedby particular devices. However, processing too can be performedanywhere, and results made available wherever needed. Thus, referencesto a cell phone performing an operation, or data being stored in a DVR,are illustrative only. Other arrangements can of course be used.

The present assignee has published a great deal of information aboutrelated systems and technologies in the patent literature—a body of workwith which the artisan is presumed to be familiar. Included are U.S.Pat. Nos. 6,590,996, 6,947,571, and published patent application20070156726.

While certain arrangements employ watermark technologies for contentidentification or signaling, the same or similar functionality can oftenbe realized with fingerprint-based approaches, or out-of-bandtechnologies (e.g., VBI signaling). In some implementations, bar codingor other overt symbologies, RFID chips, and other identificationtechnologies may be employed.

Although disclosed as complete systems, subcombinations of the detailedarrangements are also separately contemplated.

While this specification has detailed particular ordering of acts andparticular combinations of elements, in the illustrative embodiments, itwill be recognized that other contemplated methods may re-order acts(possibly omitting some and adding others), and other contemplatedcombinations may omit some elements and add others, etc.

The design of cell phones and other devices referenced in thisdisclosure is familiar to the artisan. As indicated above, eachtypically includes one or more processors, one or more memories (e.g.RAM), storage (e.g., a disk or flash memory), a user interface (whichmay include, e.g., a keypad, a TFT LCD or OLED display screen, touch orother gesture sensors, a camera or other optical sensor, a microphone,etc., together with software instructions for providing a graphical userinterface), interconnections between these elements (e.g., buses), andone or more interfaces for communicating with other devices (which maybe wireless, such as GSM, CDMA, W-CDMA, CDMA2000, TDMA, EV-DO, HSDPA,WiFi, WiMax, or Bluetooth, and/or wired, such as through an Ethernetlocal area network, a T-1 internet connection, etc).

The processes and system components detailed in this specification maybe implemented as instructions for computing devices, such asinstructions for a variety of general purpose programmable processorsincluding microprocessors (e.g., the ARM series of 32-bit RISCprocessors), graphics processing units (GPUs), digital signal processors(e.g., the Texas Instruments TMS320 series of devices), etc. Theseinstructions may be implemented as software, firmware, etc. Theseinstructions can also be implemented in various forms of processorcircuitry, including programmable logic devices, FPGAs (e.g., the XilinxVirtex series devices), and application specific circuits—includingdigital, analog and mixed analog/digital circuitry. Execution of theinstructions can be distributed among processors and/or made parallelacross processors within a device or across a network of devices.Transformation of content signal data may also be distributed amongdifferent processor and memory devices. References to “processors” or“modules” should be understood to refer to functionality, rather thanrequiring a particular form of implementation.

Software instructions for implementing the detailed functionality can bereadily authored by artisans from the descriptions provided herein,e.g., written in C, C++, Visual Basic, Java, Python, Tcl, Perl, Scheme,Ruby, etc. Cell phones, DVRs and other devices according to the presenttechnology can include software modules for performing the differentfunctions and acts.

Typically, each device includes operating system software that providesinterfaces to hardware devices and general purpose functions, and alsoincludes application software which can be selectively invoked toperform particular tasks desired by a user. Known browser software,communications software, and media processing software can be adaptedfor many of the uses detailed herein. Software is commonly stored asinstructions in one or more data structures conveyed by tangible media,such as magnetic or optical discs, memory cards, ROM, etc. Someembodiments may be implemented as embedded systems—a special purposecomputer system in which the operating system software and theapplication software is indistinguishable to the user (e.g., as iscommonly the case in basic cell phones). The functionality detailed inthis specification can be implemented in operating system software,application software and/or as embedded system software.

Different of the functionality can be implemented on different devices.For example, in a system in which a cell phone communicates with aremote server, different tasks can be performed exclusively by onedevice or the other, or execution can be distributed between thedevices. Identifying content is but one example of such a task. Thus, itshould be understood that description of an operation as being performedby a device is not limiting but exemplary; performance of the operationby another device, or shared between devices, is also contemplated.

Operations need not be performed exclusively byspecifically-identifiable hardware. Rather, some operations can bereferred out to other services (e.g., cloud computing), which attend totheir execution by still further, generally anonymous, systems. Suchdistributed systems can be large scale (e.g., involving computingresources around the globe), or local (e.g., as when a portable deviceidentifies nearby devices through Bluetooth communication, and involvesone or more of the nearby devices in a task).

It will be recognized that the detailed processing of content signals(e.g., image signals, audio signals, etc.) includes the transformationof these signals in various physical forms. Images and video (forms ofelectromagnetic waves traveling through physical space and depictingphysical objects) may be captured from physical objects using cameras orother capture equipment, or generated by a computing device. Similarly,audio pressure waves traveling through a physical medium may be capturedusing an audio transducer (e.g., microphone) and converted to anelectronic signal (digital or analog form). While these signals aretypically processed in electronic and digital form to implement thecomponents and processes described above, they may also be captured,processed, transferred and stored in other physical forms, includingelectronic, optical, magnetic and electromagnetic wave forms. Thecontent signals are transformed in various ways and for various purposesduring processing, producing various data structure representations ofthe signals and related information. In turn, the data structure signalsin memory are transformed for manipulation during searching, sorting,reading, writing and retrieval. The signals are also transformed forcapture, transfer, storage, and output via display or audio transducer(e.g., speakers).

Reference was made to GPS data. This should be understood as ashort-hand for any location-related information; it need not be derivedfrom the Global Positioning System constellation of satellites. Forexample, another technology that is suitable for generating locationdata relies on radio signals that are that commonly exchanged betweendevices (e.g., WiFi, cellular, etc.). Given several communicatingdevices, the signals themselves—and the imperfect digital clock signalsthat control them—form a reference system from which both highlyaccurate time and position can be abstracted. Such technology isdetailed in laid-open international patent publication WO08/073,347. Theartisan will be familiar with several other location-estimatingtechniques, including those based on time of arrival techniques, andthose based on locations of broadcast radio and television towers (asoffered by Rosum) and WiFi nodes (as offered by Skyhook Wireless, andemployed in the iPhone), etc.

While geolocation data commonly comprises latitude and longitude data,it may alternatively comprise more, less, or different data. Forexample, it may include orientation information, such as compassdirection provided by a magnetometer, or inclination informationprovided by gyroscopic or other sensors. It may also include elevationinformation, such as provided by digital altimeter systems.

Reference was made to touchscreen interfaces—a form of gestureinterface. Another form of gesture interface that can be used inembodiments of the present technology operates by sensing movement of acell phone—by tracking movement of features within captured imagery.Further information on such gestural interfaces is detailed inDigimarc's U.S. Pat. No. 6,947,571.

As noted, watermark technology can be used in various embodiments.Technology for encoding/decoding watermarks is detailed, e.g., inDigimarc's U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,614,914, 6,590,996 and 6,122,403; inNielsen's U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,968,564 and 7,006,555; and in Arbitron's U.S.Pat. Nos. 5,450,490, 5,764,763, 6,862,355, and 6,845,360.

Digimarc has various other patent filings relevant to the presentsubject matter. See, e.g., patent publications 20070156726, 20080049971,and 20070266252, and pending application Ser. No. 12/125,840 by Sharmaet al, filed May 22, 2008.

Content fingerprinting can also be used in various embodiments. Examplesof audio fingerprinting are detailed in patent publications 20070250716,20070174059 and 20080300011 (Digimarc), 20080276265, 20070274537 and20050232411 (Nielsen), 20070124756 (Google), U.S. Pat. No. 7,516,074(Auditude), and U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,990,453 and 7,359,889 (both Shazam).Examples of image/video fingerprinting are detailed in U.S. Pat. No.7,020,304 (Digimarc), U.S. Pat. No. 7,486,827 (Seiko-Epson), 20070253594(Vobile), 20080317278 (Thomson), and 20020044659 (NEC).

The figures are meant to be exemplary and not limiting. For example,they sometimes show multiple databases, when a single can be used (andvice-versa). Likewise, some links between the depicted blocks are notshown—for clarity's sake.

Contextual data can be used throughout the detailed embodiments tofurther enhance operation. For example, a process may depend on whetherthe originating device is a cell phone or another type of device;whether the ambient temperature is 30 or 80; the location of, and otherinformation characterizing the user; etc.

It is impossible to expressly catalog the myriad variations andcombinations of the technology described herein. Applicants recognizeand intend that the concepts of this specification can be combined,substituted and interchanged—both among and between themselves, as wellas with those known from the cited prior art. Moreover, it will berecognized that the detailed technology can be included with othertechnologies—current and upcoming—to advantageous effect.

To provide a comprehensive disclosure without unduly lengthening thisspecification, applicants incorporate by reference the documents andpatent disclosures referenced in this specification, as well asparagraphs 0002-0089, 0092-0095, 0099-0104 and 0120-0172 of publishedapplication 20100222102. These paragraphs reproduce disclosure fromabove-referenced provisional application 61/150,235. (Such documents areincorporated in their entireties, even if cited above in connection withspecific of their teachings.) These references disclose technologies andteachings that can be incorporated into the arrangements detailedherein, and into which the technologies and teachings detailed hereincan be incorporated.

The particular combinations of elements and features in theabove-detailed embodiments are exemplary only; the interchanging andsubstitution of these teachings with other teachings in this and theincorporated-by-reference documents are also expressly contemplated andintended.

A few of the arrangements particularly contemplated by applicantsinclude:

A. A method comprising the acts:

accessing location data indicating a location of a cell phone;

accessing profile data relating to television viewing preferences of auser of the cell phone; and

by reference to at least the location and profile data, making anestimate of particular video content the user may currently be watching,or may watch in the future.

Method A that includes presenting supplemental information to the userfrom the cell phone, the supplemental information being related to theestimated video content.

Method A that further includes inquiring, through a UI of the cellphone, whether the user is watching the particular video content.

Method A1 that includes, if the user responds affirmatively, providingsupplemental information to the user from the cell phone, thesupplemental information being related to the particular program.

Method A2 wherein the user views the supplemental information on ascreen of the cell phone, while also viewing the particular videocontent on a screen of a television.

Method A2 wherein the user views the supplemental information on ascreen of the cell phone without also viewing the particular videocontent on a screen of a television.

Method A that includes obtaining EPG data identifying plural televisionprograms currently available in a media market encompassing theindicated location, and assessing the identified television programs inlight of the profile data to estimate a particular television programthat the user may currently be watching, or may watch in the future.

Method A wherein the profile data includes data related to a previoustelevision viewing history of the user.

Method A that includes accessing the location data from a locationmodule of the cell phone, and making the estimate of the particulartelevision program using a processor in the cell phone.

Method A that further includes sending information about the estimate toa device in a home network associated with the user.

B. A method comprising the acts:

accessing location data indicating a location of a cell phone;

accessing profile data relating to television viewing preferences of auser of the cell phone;

by reference to at least the location and profile data, identifying oneor more upcoming television programs that the user may want to view; and

alerting the user to the upcoming television program(s) using the cellphone.

C. A method comprising the acts:

determining that a television and a cell phone are in relativeproximity;

accessing profile data relating to television viewing preferences of auser of the cell phone; and

based on the foregoing, employing a user interface of the cell phone toprovide supplemental information to the user relating to televisionprogramming.

Method C that includes:

inquiring, through a user interface of the cell phone, whether the useris watching the identified television program; and

if the user responds affirmatively, providing the supplementalinformation.

Method C in which the determining makes reference to location data abouta location of the cell phone.

Method C in which the determining makes reference to location data abouta location of the television.

Method C in which the determining makes reference to audio or imageinformation captured by the cell phone.

D. A method comprising the acts:

by reference to user profile information, and EPG data, estimating auser's television viewing activity;

using a cell phone to sense audio or image data from a user environment;and

reassessing the estimate based on the sensed data.

Method D in which the estimating includes estimating one or moretelevision programs that the user may be watching.

Method D in which the estimating includes estimating whether the user iswatching a particular television program.

Method D that includes reassessing the estimate repeatedly over time.

E. A method comprising the acts:

accessing user profile data;

accessing EPG data;

sensing audio or image data from a user environment; and

by reference to the foregoing data, estimating a television program thatthe user may be watching.

Method E that includes:

inquiring, through a user interface of a portable device, whether theuser is watching the estimated television program; and

if the user responds affirmatively, providing to the portable devicesupplemental information relating to the television program.

F. A method comprising the acts:

programming a DVR to record a television program; and

in advance of a scheduled time for the program, sending a reminder to acell phone associated with the DVR.

F1. Method F that includes determining that the cell phone is remotefrom a home geography, determining when the program is available in thatremote geography, and sending the reminder in advance of the programavailability in the remote geography.

G. A method comprising the acts:

programming a DVR to record a television program;

sending to a cell phone associated with the DVR a reminder related tothe television program; and

in response to a user command entered through a UI of the cell phone,presenting at least part of the television program on a screen of thecell phone.

H. A method involving a cell phone and a television system, comprisingthe acts:

identifying an upcoming television program of interest to a user, usingan electronic user interface associated with the television system; and

sending to a user's cell phone a reminder related to the televisionprogram.

Method H that further includes, in response to a user command enteredthrough a user interface of the cell phone, presenting at least part ofthe television program on a screen of the cell phone.

Method H that includes sending at least part of the television programto one or more other cell phones with which the user has an association.

Method H that includes sending at least part of the television programto said other cell phone(s) by wireless, such as WiFi or Bluetooth.

Method H that includes sending at least part of the television programto one or more other cell phones that are physically proximate to theuser's cell phone.

Method H that includes sending at least part of the television programto one or more other cell phones that are registered in association withthe user's cell phone.

J. A method involving a user's cell phone, comprising the acts:

identifying a television program in which the user is or may beinterested; and

inquiring, through a UI of the cell phone, whether the user is watchingthe identified television program.

Method J that includes, if the user responds affirmatively, providing tothe cell phone supplemental information relating to the identifiedprogram.

Method J that further includes sensing audio or image data using thecell phone, and inferring from said data if the user has stoppedwatching the identified television program.

Method J that includes sensing movement of the cell phone, and inferringfrom the sensed audio or image data, and the sensed movement, that theuser has moved away from the television.

Method J1 that includes pausing the television display, so that theprogram can be resumed when the user returns.

K. A method comprising the acts:

estimating a user's current television viewing activity, by reference toambiguous data previously available; and

obtaining further, current data to help confirm or refute the estimate,from a user cell phone.

Method K in which the further data comprises user input confirming orrefuting the estimate.

Method K in which the further data comprises audio or image data sampledby the cell phone.

Method K that further includes providing, to a user cell phone,auxiliary content related to the estimated television viewing activity.

L. A method involving a user's cell phone, comprising the acts:

before a television program has completed, sensing data suggesting thatthe user has stopped viewing; and

taking an action related to the television program, to lessen an impactof the user's stopped viewing.

Method L that includes pausing the television display, so that theprogram can be resumed when the user returns to the television viewingarea.

Method L that includes sending information to the user cell phonerelating to an excerpt of the television program occurring during theuser's absence.

M. A method involving a user's cell phone, comprising the acts:

from a data store associated with a digital video recorder, accessingwireless contact information for the user, and video program datarelated to the user;

generating an alert notification for the user based at least in part onthe video program data; and

transmitting the alert notification to the user, employing the wirelesscontact information.

Method M wherein the alert notification includes data permitting theuser to watch associated video on a screen of the cell phone.

Method M wherein the alert notification includes data permitting theuser to run a software widget related to a video program of interest tothe user.

Method M wherein the digital video recorder is coupled to a homenetwork, and the data store is also coupled to the home network.

N. A method involving a user's cell phone, comprising the acts:

presenting a video program on a display screen of a video system;

recalling registration data, the registration data associating togetherthe cell phone and the video system; and

by reference to the registration data, transmitting auxiliary content tothe cell phone to complement the video program presented on the displayscreen.

Method N wherein the video system includes user data associated withplural users, the method further including:

discerning which of the plural users is likely watching the presentedvideo; and

transmitting the auxiliary content to a cell phone associated with saiddiscerned user.

Method N wherein:

the user data comprises, for at least one of said users, profileinformation or video viewing information; and

the discerning comprises assessing information about the video programin light of the user data, to discern which of the users is likelywatching the presented video.

Method N that includes sending a message to the cell phone alerting thediscerned user of the availability of auxiliary content, prior totransmitting the auxiliary content.

Method N1 wherein the message includes information contributed by aproprietor of the presented video program.

P. A method comprising the acts:

launching a second screen application on a user's cell phone;

determining a logical association between the cell phone and atelevision system;

as a consequence, presenting second screen auxiliary content on a screenof the cell phone, the second screen auxiliary content being related tocontent being presented on a screen of the television system.

Method P that includes determining the logical association by checking adata registry, the data registry having information associating the cellphone with the television system.

Method P wherein the content being presented on the screen of thetelevision system was earlier distributed, and was recorded by thetelevision system for time-shifted viewing.

Method P wherein the second screen auxiliary content is also related toa geographical location of the user.

Method P that wherein the second screen auxiliary content is selectedbased in part on user preference data stored in a memory.

R. A computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereoncausing a user's cell phone to consult with a television systemassociated with that user, and to present information on a screen of thecell phone, the presented information including a title of a videoprogram being processed by the television system.

Medium R that also includes instructions for receiving auxiliary contentdata associated with the video program, and presenting the auxiliarycontent data to the user.

Medium R that also includes instructions for presenting to the user amenu of plural auxiliary content items associated with the videoprogram, and receiving user input indicating which of said pluralauxiliary content items should be presented to the user.

S. A method comprising the acts:

identifying, from a list of programming associated with a digital videorecorder, a program of interest to a user;

determining that the user is at a first location, remote from a homelocation; and

sending to a cell phone of the user a reminder about the program ofinterest.

Method S that also includes determining information about how the usermay access the program at the first location, and sending saidinformation to the user at the first location.

Method S1 that includes consulting EPG data corresponding to videoavailable at the first location.

Method S that also includes sending information about auxiliary contentto the cell phone, the auxiliary content being related to the program ofinterest to the user.

T. A method comprising the acts:

presenting video content on a screen of a television system; and

pausing the presentation upon a user pause command;

wherein said user pause command also causes a graphical control to bepresented, by which the user can select auxiliary content related to thevideo content.

Method T wherein the auxiliary content provides background informationrelating to a subject presented on the television screen at a time ofsaid user pause command.

Method T wherein said graphical control is displayed on the screen ofthe television system.

Method T wherein said graphical control is displayed on the screen of auser cell phone.

Method T that includes receiving data corresponding to a user selectionof auxiliary content, and displaying the auxiliary content on a usercell phone.

U. A method comprising the acts:

presenting dynamic video content on a screen of a television system;

presenting dynamic auxiliary content on a screen of a cell phone, theauxiliary content being related to the video content; and

pausing both presentations upon a single user pause command.

V. A method comprising the acts:

presenting dynamic video content on a screen of a television system; and

sensing that a cell phone has been moved from a rest position towards ause position;

wherein said sensing causes the presentation of the video content on thetelevision system screen to pause.

Method V wherein the sensing comprises sensing that the cell phone hasbeen moved from a rest position when a phone call is incoming.

W. A method comprising:

with a first device, sampling data from plural video content streams;

by reference to the sampled data, identifying three or more of saidplural content streams;

by reference to user profile data, identify two or more of theidentified content streams as being of potential interest to a user;

presenting excerpts from the two or more streams on a screen of a cellphone, in spatial proximity; and

in response to user selection, presenting one of said two or morestreams on the cell phone screen for user viewing.

Method W wherein the first device comprises the user cell phone.

Method W wherein the first device comprises a receiver of modulated RFsignals.

X. A method employing a first user's cell phone, comprising the acts:

receiving instruction from a first user, setting an option allowingsharing of visual content information between the first user's cellphone and one or more other cell phones;

presenting visual content on the first user's cell phone;

transmitting content-related data from the first user's cell phone; and

presenting the same visual content on a second user's phone, insynchrony with presentation on the first user's cell phone.

Method X that includes transmitting content-related data from the firstuser's cell phone to one or more other users' cell phones.

Method X wherein the visual content is presented on the second user'sphone in a sub-portion of a display screen.

Method X wherein the transmitted content-related data identifies aremote computer server from which the visual content is obtained by boththe first and second users' cell phone.

Method X wherein the transmitted content-related data comprisescompressed video data.

Method X wherein said content-related data is transmitted by a dataservice discovery protocol across a home network, and the first andsecond cell phones are both coupled to the same home network.

Y. A method including the acts:

determining a user's location by reference to a portable device conveyedby the user;

identifying a television system proximate to the determined userlocation; and

controlling an aspect of the television system's operation in accordancewith profile data corresponding to the user.

Z. A method comprising the acts:

identifying first content being rendered to a user while second,different, content is also being rendered to the user, one of saidcontent comprising entertainment content presented on a televisionscreen, another of said content comprising web content being rendered ona second screen;

storing data relating to the first and second content in association ina database;

thereafter, querying the database with data identifying the firstcontent, to thereby obtain data identifying the second content that isassociated therewith.

Method Z that includes associating profile data corresponding to theuser with the data relating to the first and second content, wherein thequerying comprises querying with profile data of a querying user.

AA. A method comprising the acts:

capturing samples of ambient audio with a first portable device conveyedby a first user;

capturing samples of ambient audio with a second portable deviceconveyed by a second user;

determining, by reference to location data associated with said devices,that the first and second devices were in a common environment whencapturing samples of ambient audio;

combining and analyzing data corresponding to the ambient audio sampledby the first and second portable devices to yield associated firstinformation;

by reference to the first information, obtaining associated secondinformation from a data structure; and

providing at least some of the second information to the first user;

wherein the information provided to the first user is based, at least inpart, on ambient audio captured with the second portable device conveyedby the second user.

Method AA wherein the first information comprises data identifying asong, and the second information comprises artist information associatedwith the identified song.

Method AA wherein the first information comprises one or more words, andthe second information comprises results of an internet search based onthe first information.

AB. A method comprising the acts:

receiving report data from plural distributed computer nodes, indicatingvideo entertainment content automatically detected through use ofdigital watermark or fingerprint technology at such node;

from at least certain of said nodes, additionally receiving schedulingdata detailing public availability of the detected video entertainmentcontent by one or more content distributors; and

presenting at least certain of said data to a user in the form of aprogram-centric directory, detailing source and schedules by whichuser-specified video content can be obtained for viewing.

Method AB, wherein the program centric directory identifies at least twotypes of outlets from which the user-specified video content can beobtained for viewing, wherein said types of outlets are selected fromthe group consisting of a television network, a web site, and apeer-to-peer network.

AC. A method comprising the acts:

at a distributor of video entertainment content, receiving videoentertainment content from a source thereof;

detecting digital watermark or fingerprint identification data from thereceived video entertainment content;

by reference to the detected identification data, reporting presence ofsuch content at the distributor to a remote program directory database;

also reporting scheduling information to the remote program directorydatabase, the scheduling information specifying a schedule by which thevideo entertainment content is to be made available to the public;

wherein such reports allow automatic compilation of a program directorydatabase usable by the public to identify sources and schedules forobtaining video entertainment content.

AD. A data structure, stored on a tangible storage medium, the datastructure causing a processor configured by appropriate programminginstructions to produce a content directory, the content directorydetailing a title of video entertainment content, and a plurality ofsources from which said content can be obtained, the directory furtherdetailing schedule information detailing temporal availability of suchcontent, wherein information from said directory is used to obtain videoentertainment content from one of the sources for presentation to a useron a display screen.

AE. A method of transferring video game content from a first screen to asecond screen, wherein one of said screens forms part of a user cellphone, the first screen has a first processor associated therewith, andthe second screen has a second processor associated therewith, themethod comprising the acts:

executing video game software on a remote processor—distinct from thefirst and second processors;

converting output from execution of said video game software into avideo stream;

transmitting the video stream to the first processor, for display on thefirst screen;

receiving user input at the first processor relating to game play, andtransmitting same to the remote processor for responsive action; and

in response to user instruction, changing a destination for thetransmitted video stream from the first processor to the secondprocessor;

wherein the user can transfer game play between a cell phone screen anda different screen, during play of a game.

AF. A system for transferring video entertainment content from a firstscreen to a second screen, the system including a cell phone includingone of said screens and an associated processor, the system furtherincluding a second processor associated with the second screen, thesystem further comprising a memory containing instructions forconfiguring one of said processors to present a user interface controlthat can be activated by a user to initiate transfer of videoentertainment content from the first screen to the second screen, thesystem further including means, responsive to said user interfacecontrol, for transferring the video entertainment content from the firstscreen to the second screen.

AG. A method of involving a user in video entertainment content,comprising the acts:

presenting video entertainment content to the user;

receiving user input, submitted through a user cell phone; and

adapting the video entertainment content in accordance with saidreceived user input.

Method AG, wherein the user input comprises audio.

Method AG, wherein the user input comprises audio, and the videoentertainment content is adapted by including at least a portion of saidaudio in said content.

Method AG, wherein the user input comprises gestural input issued byuser movement of the cell phone.

Apparatuses and systems practicing the foregoing methods, e.g., by useof processors and modules for performing the enumerated acts.

Discs, memories, and other tangible media storing instructions causingone or more computer devices to perform the foregoing methods.

In view of the large variety of implementations to which the disclosedtechnologies can be put, it should be understood that the particularlydetailed arrangements are exemplary only, and not should be understoodas limiting the scope of the claimed technology. Rather, we claim allsuch variations in form and function as may fall within the scope of thefollowing claims, and equivalents thereto.

We claim:
 1. A method comprising: making an initial inference aboutaudio or image content to which a user presently is being exposed, usinga processor configured to perform such act, wherein said initialinference is based, at least in part, on information about a secondperson who is present with the user; collecting data useful inconfirming or refuting the initial inference, said collected data beingindependent of information about a second person who is present with theuser, said collecting comprising sampling of sound or imagery of thecontent to which the user presently is being exposed, and processingsame using a fingerprinting or digital watermarking technique todetermine whether a fingerprint or watermark is consistent with theinitial inference; making a refined conclusion based on said initialinference and the collected data; and taking an action based on saidrefined conclusion, wherein said action comprises providing ancillarycontent.
 2. The method of claim 1 that includes, in response to a userselection, providing the ancillary content on a television screen or ona phone screen.
 3. A method comprising: obtaining history data relatingto activities of a user; making an initial inference about sound orimagery based on the history data; sampling the sound or imagery towhich the user presently is being exposed, and processing same using afingerprinting technique to produce fingerprint data, said processingbeing performed by a hardware processor configured to perform such act;using both the initial inference and the fingerprint data in reaching aconclusion regarding an identity of the sound or imagery to which theuser presently is being exposed; and taking an action based on saidconclusion, wherein said action comprises providing ancillary content.4. The method of claim 3 that further includes obtaining position dataabout a user's location, and using said position data with the initialinference and fingerprint data in reaching said conclusion.
 5. Themethod of claim 3 that includes, in response to a user selection,providing the ancillary content on a television screen or on a phonescreen.
 6. A method comprising: obtaining position data about a user'slocation; making an initial inference about sound or imagery based onthe position data; sampling the sound or imagery to which the userpresently is being exposed, and processing same using a fingerprintingtechnique to produce fingerprint data, said processing being performedby a hardware processor configured to perform such act; using both theinitial inference and the fingerprint data in reaching a conclusionregarding an identity of the sound or imagery to which the userpresently is being exposed; and taking an action based on saidconclusion, wherein said action comprises providing ancillary content.7. The method of claim 6 in which the position data further includesinformation about whether the user is stationary or in motion.
 8. Themethod of claim 6 that further includes obtaining history data relatingto activities of the user, and using said history data with the initialinference and fingerprint data in reaching said conclusion.
 9. Themethod of claim 6 that includes, in response to a user selection,providing the ancillary content on a television screen or on a phonescreen.